YouTube has addressed recent reports of unusually long unskippable ads lasting up to 90 seconds on smart TVs, clarifying that these occurrences were the result of a technical malfunction rather than an intentional change in ad policy. Earlier this week, several users noticed extended ad breaks with timers exceeding the usual duration before the option to skip appeared.
In a significant development, YouTube stated that it neither employs nor tests a 90-second unskippable ad format. The company explained that the issue stemmed from a bug that caused the ad timer to display inflated durations for shorter ads. Initially, YouTube acknowledged the problem was under investigation and officially confirmed the glitch on April 10.
The reports, which included nearly identical screenshots shared by multiple users across platforms such as Reddit and X, sparked widespread concern that YouTube might be trialing much longer ad formats specifically for connected TV devices. These images showed a user interface indicating the skip option would only appear after “90+ seconds,” which is three times the current 30-second limit for non-skippable ads on TV applications.
Meanwhile, YouTube has firmly denied any deliberate testing of this extended ad format, emphasizing that the situation was purely accidental. The company has begun deploying a fix to correct the inaccurate timer display. Users who experienced these prolonged ad breaks on their televisions should expect the ad experience to return to normal as the update is implemented across all affected devices.
