YouTube Claims It Isn't Testing 90-Second Unskippable Ads - But Users Say Otherwise

Google's efforts to place more ads in front of users aren't exactly new, as we've seen the company utilize different strategies to achieve that end goal. YouTube started pushing back against people using ad blockers by urging them to either turn the extensions off or subscribe to YouTube Premium, and we've also seen stricter measures like temporarily disabling playback. YouTube's fight against users with ad blockers has been going on for a while, but at the same time, the platform's owner, Google, has also been pushing for more ads and even longer ones. 

In March 2026, Google announced that YouTube added up to 30-second unskippable ads on smart TVs as part of its efforts to make it easier for advertisers to reach people who enjoy the service in their living rooms. According to Google, these unskippable ads are either six-second bumpers or 15- and 30-second "CTV-only" (smart TV) non-skippable formats. Understandably, YouTube users on the free plan were not happy with this news, and many shared their frustrations online following the announcement. However, multiple users have recently reported that non-skippable ads have extended beyond the 30-second limit that Google announced at the beginning of last month. 

Sharing their frustrations, multiple users took to Reddit earlier this week after being subjected to 90-second unskippable ads, far longer than the 15- to 30-second ones that Google announced. Despite these reports, YouTube denies testing 90-second unskippable ads. In a reply to a post on X reporting the news, the platform said "YouTube does not have a 90-second non-skippable ad format. This isn't something we are testing right now. We're looking into this further."

YouTube's comment refuting reports that it is showing 90-second non-skippable ads has attracted a flurry of replies on X. Despite the company's stance on the issue, more people who have experienced these kinds of ads have called out the platform for doing exactly the opposite. Some claim to have seen such ads multiple times, and other X users say they've seen them on several occasions, even before there were reports of the company testing the format. However, judging by YouTube's "We're looking into this further" comment, it's possible that the 90-second unskippable ads could have been caused by a technical glitch.

However, it appears that 90-second unskippable ads aren't the only problem here. Some of the reports from users suggest that multiple people have experienced non-skippable ads of varying lengths that are longer than the official 30-second ones that YouTube announced last month. In the replies to the company's post, some users report getting 55-second ads, while others claim to have been bombarded with 60-second unskippable ones for the last few months. Even worse, some have said they've come across 70-second ads, more than double the announced limit.