YouTube TV is a nice alternative to pay TV options, which have been slowly losing subscriber numbers for the last few years and are predicted to carry on doing so well into the future, as can be seen in the graphic below provided by eMarketer.
This trend has been known for a while, and has even been given its own name – cord-cutting.
This slowdown is only expected to continue, which is good news for internet-based alternatives like YouTube TV. But an important question you may be asking as a new or potential YouTube TV subscriber – why does YouTube TV have commercial breaks?
Let’s find out.
Quick Links
- What is YouTube TV?
- Types of YouTube TV commercials
- Why does YouTube TV have commercial breaks?
- Frequently asked questions
What is YouTube TV?
First things first, let’s clear up exactly what YouTube TV is.
Put simply, YouTube TV is Google’s attempt at live TV, with over 85 live channels to choose from.
Being an internet-based service, YouTube TV allows cord-cutters to replicate the live TV experience without having to own a traditional pay TV.
As well as this, YouTube TV gives you access to all the normal YouTube content you are used to. This means it can be a one-stop shop for both live TV and on-demand content, which is a big benefit of the platform.
Types of YouTube TV Commercials
YouTube TV has both commercials and YouTube ads.
YouTube TV commercials refer to the commercials baked-in to live TV programs, just like you would see on pay TV services from Comcast or AT&T.
YouTube TV ads refer to the ads you see while watching normal YouTube videos through YouTube TV.
There are two YouTube TV ad formats you will see: non-skippable in-stream ads, and bumper ads. Let’s take a quick look at each.
Non-skippable in-stream ads
Non-skippable in-stream ads are ads that play before, during, or after YouTube videos, similar to the usual YouTube ads you will have experienced before YouTube TV.
These ads will take over the whole screen when viewed on a TV, with a small ad symbol and countdown timer in the top left corner, as can be seen below.
Because these ads are not skippable, they will only ever be 15 seconds in length or shorter.
Bumper ads
Bumper ads are short video ads that are up to 6 seconds in length, with the idea being that advertisers can reach more viewers than a longer ad.
These ads, much like non-skippable in-stream ads, cover the whole TV screen when being shown, and cannot be skipped.
Why does YouTube TV have commercial breaks?
The main reason YouTube TV has commercial breaks is because you are still watching live TV through the service, and the cable network channels you are watching place ads on their live TV content.
This means that you will always experience commercials, regardless of the medium through which you are watching live TV.
Frequently asked questions
Is YouTube TV commercial free?
No, YouTube TV is not commercial free. You will have to watch ads when watching live TV through YouTube TV, as well as when watching DVR recordings.
These DVR recordings can be skipped through via fast-forward, as can the ads on live TV (providing you have paused it long enough to fast-forward through all the ads.
As well as this, if you are not also a YouTube Premium member, you will have to watch ads when watching regular YouTube content through YouTube TV.
Can you skip YouTube TV commercials?
In certain instances, YouTube TV commercials can be skipped. For example, if you pause live TV long enough, you can then fast-forward through the commercial break.
You can also skip the YouTube TV commercials you see on DVR recordings.
To read more on when YouTube TV ads can be skipped, read our article here.
Can YouTube TV be commercial free?
To a certain extent yes, YouTube TV can be commercial free. YouTube Premium allows you to experience YouTube without ads, and if you have a YouTube Premium subscription as well as a YouTube TV subscription, you can experience YouTube TV ad-free too.
You will still have the commercials on the network channels you watch (i.e., through the live TV portion of YouTube TV).