GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR Google has confirmed that side-by-side ads for livestreams are now rolling out to mobile after launching on desktop and TVs last year.
While the livestream video remains visible during the ad, the stream’s audio is intentionally muted in favor of the advertisement.
The format is designed for automated mid-rolls to keep viewers connected to the broadcast visual without a full-screen takeover.
Yesterday, we reported on YouTube seemingly testing a new concurrent ad format that plays ads alongside a livestream, without disrupting the video (but disrupting the audio). Google has now confirmed to us that side-by-side ads are new on mobile, but have been around since last year on desktop and TVs.
Google pointed us to the launch of side-by-side ads for livestreams on YouTube:
YouTube introduced side-by-side ads for automated live mid-rolls to reduce disruption to viewers during a livestream. During these ad breaks, the ad runs alongside the livestream within the video player.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.
However, in its video, Google notes that the stream’s audio is muted during the ad. This is intentional behavior. Consequently, viewers do lose out on the audio content from the livestream during the ad break, and depending on what they are watching and how long the ad was, that missed content could have been crucial.
... continue reading