Joe Maring/Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has confirmed that side-by-side ads for livestreams are now available on mobile after launching on desktop and TV last year.
- While the livestream video remains visible during the advertisement, the audio of the stream is intentionally muted in favor of the advertisement.
- The format is designed to have automatic mid-roll so viewers can engage with the broadcast scene without full-screen takeover.
Yesterday, we reported on YouTube testing a new concurrent ad format that runs ads alongside the livestream without interrupting the video (but not interrupting the audio). Google has now confirmed to us that side-by-side ads are new on mobile, but have been present on desktop and TV since last year.
YouTube introduced side-by-side ads for automated live mid-rolls to reduce disruption to viewers during livestreams. During these ad breaks, the advertisement plays alongside the livestream within the video player.
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However, in its video, Google notes that the stream’s audio is muted during the ad. This is deliberate behaviour. As a result, viewers lost audio content from the livestream during ad breaks, and depending on what they were watching and how long the ad ran, that missed content could be significant.
Google noted that mobile is now supported for side-by-side ads on livestreams, which Reddit users have seen. So side-by-side ads and muted stream audio are not bugs, but features.
For many users, mobile is the primary way to watch video, including livestreams. By keeping the video feed visible on mobile, YouTube is trying to bridge the gap between keeping the lights on with ad revenue and not making viewers feel like they’ve completely lost the broadcast formula, but there’s definitely room for improvement here.
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