The report puts a spotlight on instances where ads were displayed in small, muted video players or lacked actual video content between ads. Some ads also displayed limited user interaction or activation.
Notably, prominent websites such as NYTimes, Reuters, Wired, Mashable, and Gizmodo were found to be running muted TrueView ads. The study also revealed hidden or obscured skip buttons, making it challenging for users to skip ads after the initial five seconds.
Advertisers paying for TrueView ads running outside YouTube on other websites and apps might not be getting what they paid for.
There could be significant implications for advertisers. The report suggests that media buyers might have spent billions of digital ad dollars on small, muted, out-stream, auto-playing, or interstitial video ad units on independent websites and mobile apps.
One advertiser interviewed by Adalytics expressed concern, stating that Google and YouTube might be extracting more budget and generating scale by leveraging a method that advertisers may not fully comprehend.
Google’s Response
Marvin Renaud, Google’s director of global video solutions, dismissed the report’s findings in a blog post. Renaud claimed that the report made “extremely inaccurate claims” and reaffirmed that advertisers are only charged for viewed ads.
