YouTube’s uninterruptive “side-by-side” live streaming ads have been spotted in the wild

YouTube is testing a new ad format that reinforces the platform’s mission to make its live streams more seamless. The new spots, dubbed side-by-side ads, are now showing up on a handful of YouTube streams.

The side-by-side ads load in a separate video player that pops up directly below the active stream. Creators who take advantage of that format can run ad breaks without needing to actively interrupt their stream.

YouTube first teased side-by-side ads last year, when the format earned a mention at the annual Made On event. Six months later, Reddit users like PuffballOfficial12 have been served side-by-side ads, indicating the presence on an ongoing test.

The question of how to serve ads to streaming viewers is a crucial conundrum for platforms. Twitch’s effort to monetize its hours-long stream took a step forward with the 2020 introduction of mid-roll breaks, but that solution drew widespread criticism. Creators complained that the automatic insertion of the breaks sometimes preempted exciting gameplay moments or other stream highlights.

Twitch’s more recent formats, like its pause ads

, enable types of monetization that don’t interrupt the streaming experience. As YouTube has leveled up its own live streaming infrastructure, it has found its own ways to serve uninterruptive ads. Picture-in-picture ads place spots in a minimized window, and the new side-by-side ads make a clear distinction between creator content and paid media.

There’s only one small snag: Side-by-side ads are kinda interruptive in their own way. Several Reddit users noted that the new ads have autoplaying sound, which viewers must mute if they want to understand the audio of the attached stream. So even though the spots are designed to play alongside creator content, some fans are rewinding streams to catch up on any action they missed while hunting for the mute button.

There might still be some kinks YouTube needs to work out as it continues to test its new format. The presence of side-by-side ads is an encouraging reminder that YouTube is considering ways to reduce the number of interruptions for its streaming viewers.