YouTube Is About to Make a Big Change Viewers will hate

But advertisers are going to love it.

The last thing YouTube viewers want is more, unskippable advertisements, but that's exactly what viewers on the television apps are going to see going forward. At its Brandcast event for advertisers, YouTube announced that it is bringing 30-second unskippable ads to connected TVs. Advertisers who want that captive audience will have to sign up for YouTube select, the targeting option for advertisers who want to reach viewers of the service's most popular programs.

YouTube, which is a subsidiary of Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Free Report, says that about 70% of YouTube Select impressions go to televisions. Signing up will allow "for richer storytelling," from advertisers, YouTube said at the event, according to Engadget.

YouTube had phased out 30-second unskippable ad slots on YouTube Select back in 2018, but now the platform under new CEO Neal Mohan is bringing the option back for advertisers.

“We’re making it easier for advertisers who normally use linear television to advertise on YouTube,” Sean Downey, president of sales at Google and YouTube, told Adweek.

In another gift to advertisers, YouTube is introducing ads that begin when users pause videos.

YouTube is offering advertisers a sweeter deal at a time when many economists have an 'if not when' attitude towards the chances of a recession this year. If that happens, advertising revenue could take a hit as businesses trim budgets.

Digital video advertising spending is expected to grow 17% year over year to $55.2 billion in 2023, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. But that 17% increase is slower than the 21% increase the previous year.