YouTube says 90-second unskippable ads were a bug, fix now rolling out

YouTube has clarified that reports of 90-second unskippable ads appearing on TV were not intentional, saying the issue was caused by a bug.

Earlier this week, several users reported unusually long ad breaks while watching YouTube on smart TVs, with some seeing ads that appeared to last over 90 seconds before a skip option became available.

In response, YouTube said it does not use or actively test 90-second unskippable ads. The company added that it is investigating the issue and has started rolling out a fix to affected users.

The reports, which included similar screenshots and experiences from multiple viewers, raised concerns that YouTube might be experimenting with longer ad formats. However, the platform has denied this, attributing the issue to an unintended glitch instead.

Despite the clarification, YouTube has not provided a detailed explanation of how the bug occurred or why it appeared to affect multiple users at the same time.

For now, users who encountered extended ad breaks on TV should see improvements as the fix continues to roll out.