YouTube go for the cord-cutters with TV ads

May 1, 2018

Let’s talk about the video giant, YouTube. YouTube viewership is increasing on TV. Its apps for smart TV and gaming consoles are growing and growing among viewers who prefer to watch on the big-screen, instead of the little screen in their pockets.

In the past, YouTube saw a shift from video-viewing on desktop to mobile. It’s now in a second major shift from mobile video-viewing to TV. Video-viewing behaviour differs substantially between all three devices, and each of these requires a shift in the platform and, the bit that marketers are interested in, its paid media offering and opportunities.

YouTube announced that it will be launching ads for YouTube TV. At the moment, advertisers can only target desktop, mobile and tablet users, but this new change will add TV into the mix too! Whether your audience is viewing on their smart TVs, consoles, streaming devices or if they’re casting, you can target them with a TV ad!

What does this change mean for video-viewing and behaviour surrounding ads? Let’s throw a spotlight on the differences in mobile and TV viewing.

Mobile is an incredibly active device. You can perform hundreds of different actions on mobile, and, remember, you can’t multi-task while watching a YouTube video. If the content isn’t grabbing you, it’s a swift thumb movement of a few centimetres to click off a video, or to skip an ad, and begin a new action.

TV viewing is much more passive, and viewers spend longer watching video content than on mobile. Users may not also spend the entire viewing sessions with the controls in their hand, so they might not be so quick to reach for the remote to change the video or skip the ad!

We’re looking forward to seeing the stats about how YouTube TV viewers behave with these new ads. How will the video social platform stack up with traditional TV advertising? And how will it compare to existing YouTube ads on other devices? In the near future, YouTube will also add a ‘TV screens device type’ to AdWords and DoubleClick Bid Manager too. TV ads are quickly and surely being integrated into YouTube’s offering and all other activities.

There’s no doubt that YouTube, as a TV replacement, is here to stay. If you’re looking to advertise on YouTube, these new TV ads should be considered as part of your strategy!

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