Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Update: Statement)

Update, January 24, 2025 (01:21 PM ET): We’ve now heard back from Google, and the company offers the following statement:

Ads are a vital lifeline for our creators that helps them run and grow their businesses. That’s why the use of ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service. We’ve launched a global effort to urge viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad free experience.

The YouTube owner emphasizes that normal non-skippable in-stream ads are limited to just 15 seconds in length. The company further acknowledges its efforts to detect users attempting to block ads, and its interest in discouraging them from the practice. If that still continues, Google reserves the right to disable playback. It emphasizes that this is a last-ditch response to the most incalcitrant ad blockers, but if that’s what it comes to, Google’s willing to cut them off.

While the company stops short of directly saying as much, it sure feels like the preposterously long ads we’re seeing here are an example of one tool in Google’s arsenal for effectively disabling YouTube playback for violators of the site’s ToS.

Original article, January 24, 2025 (10:31 AM ET): Most of us hate YouTube ads at this point. What started off as minimal intrusion into the viewer experience has gradually become longer and more intrusive, to the point where many of us prefer just paying for YouTube Premium and never seeing another ad again. For some users, that isn’t a feasible option, so they have to make their peace with watching ads to support their favorite creators and the YouTube platform. Lately, however, users have been getting really long, unskippable ads, long enough to question whether the video after the ad is even worth it.

Reddit user Lin1ex has complained about a long unskippable ad, with a duration of just about 58 minutes.

Many users in the comments mentioned they also get ads that are as disturbingly long. One user claimed without proof that they’d gotten a 10-hour-long ad, while another one-upped this claim with another unsubstantiated claim of a 90-hour ad.

Looking for proof, Reddit user Standard-Slip6572 has shared an image of a two-hour and 52-minute ad for a 49-minute video!

If you look at the image closely, you’ll notice a ‘skipping ads’ button on the bottom left, which gives us clues about what could be happening. While none of these users have disclosed whether they are using an ad blocker, the second image clearly shows one in the works.

It’s possible that if you are using an ad blocker, YouTube is able to detect it and present you with an absurdly long, unskippable ad. There’s also a possibility that the ad blocker itself is glitching out the ad and its duration. Some comments have mentioned that the ad blocker could have blocked the ‘Skip’ button from showing up and subsequently failed to block the long ad, worsening the ad situation.

While these absurdly long and unskippable ads might be caused by ad blockers, other users are getting more not-unbelievably-long-but-still-too-long unskippable ads. An older thread from Reddit user MeGlugsBigJugs showcases a 1-minute 28-second ad, and other users have also claimed the same experience.

YouTube has long been inching towards longer and more ads for free users. At the same time, the service really hates ad blockers, too (for good reason, as they hurt their bottom line and what they can pay creators). Users have one clear option: to pay for YouTube Premium and avoid the ads. But sometimes that doesn’t work either, so the next best option is to make peace with the ads or spend your time elsewhere.

We’ve contacted Google to inquire about the current upper limit for ad durations on YouTube and to learn more about this issue. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.

What’s the longest unskippable ad you have seen on YouTube? Were you using an ad blocker at the time? What platform did you get the ad on? What did you do next? Vote below and let us know more in the comments below!