A fun little thread in the YouTube TV The subreddit recently summarized something we’ve all probably been thinking about in recent weeks. “New product idea: A paid tier without political ads.”
Take my money. (And it doesn’t matter that I’m actually runs for election.)
“Dear YouTubeTV Product Manager,” the post begins“Please, please create a subscription without political ads. We are months away from the election and I have already seen way too many horrible political ads.”
Amen, my sister. Or, uh, DarkLordofData. As each of us Over 8 million YouTube TV subscribers is currently subject to political advertising, I happen to live in a very specific location Circle of Hell In this case, I am exposed not only to political ads from Alabama, but also from Northwest Florida. So in an election year like this, and especially in a year like this, I could pay up to twice as much to never see a political ad, even if it is someone I would actually vote for. (And especially if it is someone whose box I would never check.)
Of course, that will never happen. the most important feedback notes“Ads are served between the channel and the buyer of the ad space. YouTube TV has nothing to do with this.”
And that’s absolutely true. Take any ABC channel you own. If a candidate buys ad time on a national program, everyone will see it. If a candidate buys ad time on a local newscast, only that local area will see it. YouTube TV just streams the feed, it doesn’t control the content.
But that’s not all. YouTube TV is part of a small advertising company called Google. And, yes, you can buy ads directly on YouTube and YouTube TV. If you see an ad on YouTube TV with a YouTube-like “skip” or “more info” button, that’s what you’re seeing: an ad purchased through Google Ad Manager. In the early days of live streaming (ESPN+ was particularly bad at this), if you saw a 30-second block of “Hang on, we’ll be right back,” that meant it was ad space that hadn’t been sold. All the streaming services rectified this pretty quickly, and YouTube TV did it in some pretty inventive ways, including a deal with Calm.
As someone who occasionally buys ad time on different platforms, this is a great option. (My next door neighbor’s kids were super surprised to see Mr. Phil on the screen one day in the middle of the YouTube channel they were watching. I’m the coolest.)
But as someone who has been subjected to some of the worst political advertising in recent memory, November 6 can’t come soon enough.
