Why is YouTube (the second most-watched streaming platform in the UK) full of adverts for AI slop and scams?

[-]

RaymondBumcheese@reddit

The irony of YouTube adverts is that unless I have already heard of the product, I think it’s a scam.

[-]

I am shocked anyone ever sees a YouTube advert. It’s unbelievable how stupid people are. It’s literally more difficult to set up a Reddit account than set up a VPN and point it at Albania or the Bahamas when watching YouTube.

[-]

tazmusicandmeat@reddit

DOESNT WORK ANYMORE NUMPTY

[-]

No_Nose2819@reddit

Yes it does because those countries have a law banning advertising. Alphabet do the add blocking for you. My TV , phones, tablets , never see advertising while using the official YouTube app.

So my question is why are you calling me a NUMPTY and telling lies to defend alphabet?

[-]

tazmusicandmeat@reddit

It doesn't work anymore YT caught onto it

[-]

404invalid-user@reddit

could argue it's stupid to setup and pay for a VPN when you can just install an ad block extension

[-]

Saw_Boss@reddit

I've noticed a significant slow down recently with ublock. Click on a video, wait 10 seconds before it starts

[-]

404invalid-user@reddit

yeah same but it is significantly faster than it would be if I had to VPN somewhere

[-]

michuneo@reddit

AdBlock is much easier than paying for VPNs lmao, but hey - have it your way

[-]

Sorbicol@reddit

It depends what platform you are using. I use Firefox with UBlock Origin on my desktop and it works a treat.

When I'm using my tablet (which is probably the device I do most of my YouTube viewings on) then VPN set to Albania is a lot more convenient.

Neither method is that difficult. At all.

[-]

bacon_cake@reddit

Just out of interest what do you think would happen if everyone ran a VPN for YouTube?

[-]

miaow-fish@reddit

That's unlikely to happen as evidenced by the people that don't use an adblock or VPN but doesn't mean you have to watch ads.

[-]

insanityarise@reddit

I was not aware of this, thank you.

[-]

Djave_Bikinus@reddit

I always get they same two or three crappy companies over and over again. No matter how many times I tell YouTube that I'm not interested in buying any Mous products their ads still appear in my feed. Such obnoxious tripe as well.

[-]

antifamarketer@reddit

It's legal because it's not regulated the same as television.

https://cybermagazine.com/news/youtube-faces-calls-for-tv-style-ad-vetting-amid-scam-surges

If you don't like it, write to your MP about it and/or make a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority.

https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

https://www.asa.org.uk/

[-]

mynameisollie@reddit

It should be though. It’s stupid that we limit the amount of advertising on traditional channels but YouTube is the Wild West despite being watched more, especially by the young.

[-]

antifamarketer@reddit

Yep. Google is too powerful and most people and lawmakers are too apathetic to care.

That's why I mentioned getting in touch with your MP if it's something you care about and want regulated. Big tech needs to be held accountable, but so far, they pass through too many legal loopholes.

[-]

pajamakitten@reddit

Google has big pockets to fight any legislation though.

[-]

antifamarketer@reddit

Very true. Which is why we're in this mess in the first place.

[-]

setokaiba22@reddit

I’m shocked ‘advertisers’ see any return I get tons of adverts for things like Workday, or AI app development. I’m never buying that

[-]

RaymondBumcheese@reddit

My mother in law bought me one of those ‘NASA SCIENTISTS ARE SHOCKED AT HOW GOOD THIS MONOCULAR IS’ telescope things for Christmas a few years ago, so there’s your target demographic.

The most I’ve ever had to pretend to like something in my life.

[-]

Fantastic_Picture384@reddit

How was it?

[-]

RaymondBumcheese@reddit

Around 400 times bigger than it needed to be since they are similar quality to those plastic kids ones you get in a gift shop.

[-]

No_Nose2819@reddit

Why do you choose to waste your time watching YouTube adverts when you can just point any VPN at Albania or The Bahamas when watching YouTube and never see any?

[-]

Lost_Secretary616@reddit

The real issue with YouTube ads isn't just that they're scammy - it's that YouTube's algorithm prioritizes engagement over quality, and AI-generated content is cheap to produce at scale. These scammers can flood the platform because they're optimizing for clicks, not actual value. What's concerning is how many people think high visibility on platforms like YouTube automatically means credibility. Just because something shows up frequently doesn't mean it's trustworthy or even legitimate. Are we actually measuring whether these ads convert to real customers, or just tracking surface-level impressions? The gap between visibility and genuine recommendation quality is huge, especially when algorithms can be gamed so easily.

[-]

banisheduser@reddit

Nobody challenges Google and thus they will continue to sell sell sell.

What's more stupid is the companies buying the airspace. They should be more concerned bot accounts are racking up views and thus their ad isn't being seen by a real person.

[-]

thecrius@reddit

Firefox+ublock and I highly curate what the fuck I watch and use the "do not recommend this channel" or "not interested" without regrets.

the BBC online offer is a joke in comparison.

[-]

DevSiarid@reddit

If your using IOS I recommend SwizzTube to get rid of those ads. It also has other features such as background audio play.

[-]

audigex@reddit

YouTube is making zero effort to curate their platform

Scammers and people chasing a quick buck are just spamming out as many videos as they can, hoping to get some ad/monetisation revenue. They'll spam out anything they can possibly think of, they really don't care about the quality because they're putting almost no effort into it. It's very much a "fling enough shit at the wall and some of it will stick" approach

YouTube is going to massively haemorrhage users because of it, I think

[-]

LichenTheMood@reddit

Adblock+Sponsor block. Barely see ads and the ones I do see are very well flagged.

[-]

krill_joy-3227@reddit

Use Brave Browser ! The best , no commercial and bullsh9te !

[-]

StatisticianHeavy324@reddit

I mostly get adverts for trading 212, not seen the AI slop or scams. It is usually targeted based on your age, location, search history etc.

[-]

Tall_Stick5608@reddit

YouTube premium is expensive however well worth it for me to get rid of apps. Love the content on there and I fly regularly so I have a bunch of things downloaded to watch on the plane. It’s the only subscription I pay for

[-]

WinglyBap@reddit

Doesn’t really seem that expensive when you factor in YouTube music instead of Spotify.

[-]

Bossman_Mike@reddit

YouTube Premium is well worth it for me to have peace and quiet.

[-]

vaskemaskine@reddit

Pro-tip: if you have a VPN, set it to Andorra or Albania and enjoy 100% ad-free YouTube.

[-]

Tall_Stick5608@reddit

Nice - might have to do that in the months I’m not travelling

[-]

vaskemaskine@reddit

Yeah the offline mode was nice for flights, but not worth the £17 a month it costs now!

[-]

Polarwarrior@reddit

I just checked what I’m paying, says £12.99 /mo

[-]

HenshinDictionary@reddit

Several problems with that:

Setting a VPN to a foreign country on every single device every time you use it is a pain.
Then the YouTubers don't get paid for their work.

[-]

vaskemaskine@reddit

It’s a swipe and either 1 or 2 taps to toggle a VPN on iOS, and a couple of clicks for most VPN clients on desktop. I would call that a mild annoyance at most. Most VPN providers also allow you to do split-tunnelling, often on an app-by-app basis on mobile, so you could just route YouTube through the VPN and leave it on permanently. A fair number of routers also support setting up a VPN client on them, so all devices on your network go through the tunnel without any setup or config.
Indeed, and it’s up to each individual to decide if that’s acceptable to them.

[-]

Top-Significance8791@reddit

Relax man, they just don’t want to.

Personally I pay for YouTube premium and use YouTube on my tv mostly. I don’t pay for any other streaming service so I think it’s worth it. It’s the most watched platform in our house.

[-]

Exasperant@reddit

I'm an aspiring Youtuber.

Youtube have fucked their platform, and users, so hard I don't only use adblockers and a VPN, I encourage others to.

It'd be fine if the ad breaks were at reasonable levels of frequency and length, but a 2+ minute break every 3 minutes pushed me over the edge.

[-]

i7omahawki@reddit

A lot of YouTubers have Patreons where you can support them without having to waste time watching slop.

[-]

No_Nose2819@reddit

The Bahamas works to.

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

I got it years ago when it was £12.99 and they kept charging me that price. I cancelled all my subscriptions to see what I was really missing. Went to get it back and the price of rocketed to £16.99, I think!

[-]

AirconGuyUK@reddit

I was getting it for £1.39 a month by pretending to be a little indian fella, but then they closed the loophole..

[-]

IamTheJord@reddit

If you have friends/family a family plan is a lot more affordable

[-]

AndrewHinds67@reddit

"of rocketed"?

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

Had rocketed.

[-]

FallowfieldPark@reddit

I’ve never understood that. You miss spell something and it’s like as if they don’t understand what you’re trying to say.

It’s like saying “hey yu wanna go out tonight?” And they’re like “what?” Like you just spoke another language and can’t comprehend or try to puzzle what you said

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

Yeah. Speaks to poor comprehension skills if that person couldn’t understand what I was saying.

[-]

HenshinDictionary@reddit

YouTube Premium is really not expensive. It's cheaper than a lot of the "proper" streaming services and gets you vastly more content than any of them.

[-]

ProgrammerFickle1469@reddit

We have the family one I walk the dog every day and listen to podcasts without adverts. Worth the money.

[-]

Kpowell911@reddit

Pay for premium. Its a game changer.

[-]

JanSobieski-III@reddit

I get adverts with hot mormons telling me to join the church of latter day saints lol

[-]

Bossman_Mike@reddit

I see Mormons everywhere in my town, including places you wouldn't expect to find any visitors, e.g. the random park 3 miles from the town centre.

[-]

Necessary-Age9878@reddit

It feels comforting to know that they spend a lot of money to save you on doomsday. 😅

[-]

Ricky_Martins_Vagina@reddit

Those tai chi ones are hilariously abysmal 😂

[-]

One-Ad6305@reddit

The AI military workout ones 🤣

[-]

Defiant_Conflict6343@reddit

*distorted AI voice*

"I'm 300 years old, but with 5 minutes of tai chi walking every day, I have the puffy tits of a gorilla"

[-]

tptpp@reddit

YouTube is second to BBC? now that's surprising

[-]

Darkone539@reddit

To be fair to the bbc their selection for children is unmatched.

[-]

XSjacketfiller@reddit

By contrast YouTube's selection for children is unmatched only in the harm it causes them

[-]

blizeH@reddit

I wonder if this is somewhat true for adults as well. I can’t speak for other people but I sometimes watch some absolute crap on YouTube

[-]

pajamakitten@reddit

It is. Adults just struggle to admit it.

[-]

404invalid-user@reddit

YouTube shorts....

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

Ofcom: YouTube overtakes ITV to become UK's second most-watched service - Prolific North https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/ofcom-youtube-overtakes-itv-to-become-uks-second-most-watched-service/

[-]

ImmediatePiano6690@reddit

Although I'd question how authentic the YouTube numbers are, considering it's not difficult fir IT literate people to use bots to increase their content views.

[-]

ARobertNotABob@reddit

Quite.

[-]

Superb_Literature547@reddit

www.itv.com/news/2026-01-14/more-brits-now-watch-youtube-than-the-bbc-new-figures-show

YouTube overtook BBC at the start of the year.

[-]

LayerComprehensive21@reddit

I am honestly shocked that it is even close. Would have thought youtube overtook BBC ten years ago.

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

Your claim has already been disproven on another comment

[-]

TrumpGrabbedMyCat@reddit

It's not their claim,, they provided a news source.

Why are you being so aggressive to people not having the conversation you want to have?

[-]

seven-cents@reddit

You pointed out that they were wrong, you naughty thing you.

[-]

whiskeyislove@reddit

I use AdBlock and mainly browse YT on desktop, so I usually never see ads. But I was watching on my phone the other day on the train, and my god, I didn't realise, but now most of them are terrible AI ads.

[-]

DoctorOctagonapus@reddit

Because money. Scam owners and AI slop generators all have enough money to more or less guarantee Youtube will look the other way.

[-]

ColdbrewCorgi@reddit

Because along with the dismantling public television, they're pretty much ignoring the public good and general regulation.

[-]

yarkiebrown@reddit

Dont forget advertising gambling on content for children!

[-]

theabominablewonder@reddit

The algorithm has worked out that you engage with AI slop and scams, so that’s what you’re getting.

[-]

JamJarre@reddit

Because when you report these ads as scams they conclude they're not breaking their terms of service. They couldn't give a fuck

[-]

onionsareawful@reddit

get an ad blocker. ublock origin lite on chrome works fine for me, if it's firefox just use ublock origin.

[-]

No-Tone-6853@reddit

Love as block on my pc if I could get one on my tv I would the ads are even more obnoxious and happen seemingly every 5 minutes

[-]

onionsareawful@reddit

if you have a fire stick / android tv you can install a YouTube apk with adblock

[-]

Necessary-Age9878@reddit

Works great in PC/Mac but not with the app in Android. We could still use the browser but the app is way better. Also, in the Chromecast, it is impossible to block adds. Some apps like smart tube can be used as a wrapper but quite buggy.

[-]

EuroSong@reddit

For mobile devices, VPN to Albania - where YouTube doesn’t show ads. Alternatively, use Adblock Luna VPN which blocks ads in the official app.

[-]

creedz286@reddit

if you have android then get Revanced. It's kind of like a free youtube premium

[-]

Fowl_Eye@reddit

Use Morph instead. It's made by the same team, but without the management issues revanced has.

[-]

Ben750@reddit

r/morpheapp

[-]

No_Nose2819@reddit

What are you moaning about ? Just point a VPN to Albania or the Bahamas on your Apple iphone or LG TV when using the YouTube app.

[-]

404invalid-user@reddit

found the Albanian VPN ads

[-]

Exasperant@reddit

Adblocker on my PC, VPN on Android devices.

I understand Youtube's free, but they've poisoned their own well with the amount (and type) of ads being pushed.

[-]

dbxp@reddit

Firefox on Android supports uBlock Origin

[-]

ARobertNotABob@reddit

I wonder how many people here, including OP, have bothered to contact Advertising Standards Authority?
https://www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint.html

[-]

Spartancfos@reddit

Internet is underregulated.

[-]

Otherwise-Tie-9055@reddit

Set a vpn to Albania and you get no ads

[-]

MK2809@reddit

I keep seeing an obvious AI advert for a pressure washer

[-]

AnonymousGimp@reddit

The "pressure washer" which is just a hose attachment, and will do nothing for pressure, other than maybe narrowing the hole for the water coming out?

[-]

chillinoodle@reddit

I report every single one of these because they're blatantly false and misleading, yet it's always a "we decided not to take it down". Google are scum for allowing this shit.

[-]

NoFewSatan@reddit

It's 49cm

[-]

New_Libran@reddit

Haha saw that nonsense and rolled my eyes 😁

[-]

localmansayshello@reddit

YouTube advertising is my line of work - simply put, the returns are better for Google for you to sign up to premium. It's £15ish a month, YouTube would have to serve each non-paying user 5000 ads on average to equal that. You probably don't watch 5000 ads a month, even if it feels like that.

Best way to put it, they're making the platform as shit as possible so that you sign up.

[-]

apple_kicks@reddit

Tech and app companies lobbied hard not to be regulated like broadcast industry is so advertising rules are out window. There’s probably still ones ofcom could use but they don’t

[-]

seklas1@reddit

AI slop and scams are making bank, so that’s why. It’s also pretty much unregulated.

[-]

T_raltixx@reddit

Depends on what you watch.

I use an ad blocker and watch videogame media (Reviews, LPs, podcasts etc.). I also watch old uploaded TV and films.

No AI in my recommends.

[-]

Embarrassed_Park2212@reddit

I've never watched a youtube ad. Need to get a decent adblocker.

[-]

Mysterious-Sock39@reddit

You had premium no ads to basic tough luck bud you cheapo, stop complaining pay or watch ads

[-]

WitShortage@reddit

YouTube is full of the slop because YouTube doesn't care about content moderation in its ads. The advertisers pay for the platform, so they can do whatever they want. Telling YouTube to moderate their revenue stream is not going to have any impact in this capitalist world.

There are multiple ways to watch YouTube that block ads, each of which is pretty trivial to set up. YouTube isn't going to take action, so you have to.

[-]

Fantastic_Picture384@reddit

You cannot even report the scams either, as YouTube says that only the people being scammed can report them. Totally illegal.

[-]

Sparko_Marco@reddit

The worse the adverts are the more likely people will pay for premium.

Personally I only watch YouTube on my PC with an adblocker so haven't seen an advert on YouTube for years.

[-]

postmanpat84@reddit

Never seen ad on Brave browser and smart tube on firestick

[-]

Old_Shake3789@reddit

You should see the state of its comments section on literally every video it's all just pure bots.

[-]

steelcity91@reddit

Brave shields or VPN to Albania server.

[-]

dbxp@reddit

Ads are the lifeblood of Google and they're addicted to them. They've had limited success with paid products like Google Suite and Pixel. Google's ad model is based on bidding for placement, the more people you allow into the auction the higher the price.

[-]

TonyBlairsDildo@reddit

Their greed will consume them.

If they allow scam/crypto/fake voice adverts then consumers will assume ALL their adverts are junk and will tune them out.

Premium advertisers like real branded consumer products will not want to be associated with crypto scams.

[-]

404invalid-user@reddit

it doesn't matter if 90% of people don't fall for the scam as long as these scam ads still pay they don't care. the times I have to suffer without ad block I haven't seen a legit company so it's already happened

[-]

Jebble@reddit

I never see any of these. Clearly they somehow think it's content you're interested in.

[-]

CobaltFrame@reddit

FYI a YouTube premium subscription is a lot cheaper than your tv licence…

[-]

Anony_mouse202@reddit

Because they’re haemorrhaging money, so are desperately trying to increase ad revenue.

[-]

Superb_Literature547@reddit

"According to Barb ratings, YouTube reached approximately 51.9 million viewers in the UK in late 2025/early 2026, compared to 50.9 million for the BBC."

Its No.1

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

That’s not how viewership works on streaming platforms.

YouTube may have reached more people (and how that statistic is measured is incredibly unreliable), but more time was spent watching the BBC.

[-]

deiprep@reddit

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-01-14/more-brits-now-watch-youtube-than-the-bbc-new-figures-show

You’re wrong

[-]

Available-Spray2576@reddit

Just use Brave so you don't need to watch the ads.

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

That’s not the conversation we’re having.

[-]

Midnight_Manatee@reddit

I mean you're complaining about an easily solvable problem, it literally takes like 2 minutes of searching to find multiple ways to never see ads on YouTube for any device.

[-]

deiprep@reddit

That’s not the conversation we’re having.

[-]

TheMountainWhoDews@reddit

Every time you watch a vid and an ad rolls, behind the scenes a bunch of robots are bidding for that particular slot. If youre of a certain demographic or have certain cookies, your ad-eyeball is worth a lot more or less.

Im assuming youre a male under 30. They dont spend so much on products advertised to them, so your ad spot is cheap. Using ai to make a cheap ad for a cheap adspot is a perfectly legitimate strategy for some companies.

[-]

jfp1992@reddit

Unhook turn off shorts and all kinds of recommendations + ublock origin. Then set unhook to go to subscriptions only. Clean YouTube experience

[-]

ScumBucket33@reddit

You were watching YouTube without an Ad Block?

[-]

stbens@reddit

YT is my main viewing channel now and I’ve been paying for Premium for about a year. I have absolutely no regrets. I don’t pay for any other streaming services so the cost is not an issue.

[-]

budgrummur@reddit

YouTube ads are so shit that if I can't block them, I will happily go on without YouTube.

[-]

PhysicsForeign1634@reddit

TLDR; Business PAY YouTube when users clock their ads. You don't pay to watch videos. You still watch YouTube even when there are ads. There's no real competitor. YouTube has ZERO reasons to stop.

[-]

spoo4brains@reddit

You do realise Youtube is a platform that anyone can post any shit they want on, and that the BBC is a curated service with programming they have made themselves or pay for content from other broadcasters to show?

The BBC is paid for by the licence fee.

It costs Google a fortune to run YT and they have to recoup that with things like ads.

As for AI slop, people use free AI tools to create that with minimal effort for themselves and there are enough stupid people that watch it to make it worth doing for a lot of channels.

[-]

AirconGuyUK@reddit

If I leave youtube just playing on my TV, eventually a robot alan sugar tries to sell me a crypto scam that is literally a fucking 10 minute advertisement.

I don't understand how it's allowed.

[-]

No_Nose2819@reddit

I don’t understand why you have not set up a VPN and pointed it at Albania or the Bahamas.

[-]

5ubredhit@reddit

Set your VPN to Albania and you’ll never see any ads.

[-]

Disposable110@reddit

Why is not everyone having an adblocker and sponsorblocker for everything?

People are really doing this to themselves.

[-]

PomPomBumblebee@reddit

We barely watch TV anymore so we pay for YouTube Premium and it's worth every penny.

The adverts catch me out the times I watch a clip of something on YouTube quickly at work on my break or when training on something.

[-]

coldoil@reddit

I've noticed that using a VPN with an exit node in Andorra of all places drops all ads from youtube. Ad-free experience at zero cost.

[-]

HenshinDictionary@reddit

A lot of people in these comments are weirdly proud about not paying YouTubers for their work.

[-]

dbxp@reddit

Youtubers are pretty outspoken about Google not paying them well, that's why they have pateron, merch, sponsors etc. One of the weird things with Youtube Premium is that it only removes Google's ads, all the in video ads remain the same. At the extreme end you have tech youtubers who are usually paid to make a video on a product, then have sponsorship (often with a VPN company), referral links in the description, call outs to sell merch, patreon and product placement. It's basically the shopping channel for 20 something year old men.

[-]

MissingScore777@reddit

If you're so bothered about paying people for their work then you're much better off paying your favourite creators Patreon than watching ads during their vids.

[-]

Tao626@reddit

I bet you also think a Spotify subscription pays your favorite bands bills.

[-]

antifamarketer@reddit

Most of the money is made by Youtube, which is owned by Google, which is worth billions of dollars because of ads. Youtubers only see a fraction of that money.

If you really want to support Youtubers, they will usually have links to support them a better way.

Instead of that £16/month or whatever for Youtube premium, why not give it directly to favourite Youtubers?

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

In any case, are we supposed to be impressed that they know how to download an addon to their browser to block an advert? That’s not what we’re talking about!

[-]

Darkone539@reddit

The amount of free worthwhile content on YouTube is hard to over state. Want to watch a good video ability history? They exist. Political? They exist. Wanna learn how to cook, easy.

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

I’m not sure how that’s relevant to the point at hand?

[-]

Darkone539@reddit

I mean... yeah it is. The content is so good people put up with it.

[-]

im_just_called_lucy@reddit

Whilst you’re not technically wrong, it is really frustrating as a user of YouTube to constantly be bombarded with adverts when just a few years ago, the ads used to be much less frequent. It’s just platform greed to sell you a version of the previously standard product without the problem they’ve chosen to implement.

I will watch a video like a video essay or a podcast and it will have 2 unskippable ads at the start, then every 3 minutes or so, another 2 skippable ads.

And also, the ad content is actually quite concerning. If you say to Google that you’re a female and you give your date of birth- which you now have to in order to access “adult videos” on topics like mental health- which says you’re a young woman you are BOMBARDED with pregnancy/ baby related adverts. You can block the likes of Pampers or Clearblue because you don’t fancy being reminded of baby poo or pregnancy tests before a video not about those subjects or if the subject of babies is incredibly triggering for you at that moment (maybe you’ve just miscarried) but they’re still there. If the advert isn’t about pregnancy/baby related products, it’s about gambling or very risky investment products which is very irresponsible for a company to push onto young adults who don’t have much money and may look to these risky forms of moneymaking to try and get some more money that they end up losing even more of and spiral into a gambling addiction.

[-]

Reckless3gg@reddit

Download Brave browser, no ads on that

[-]

RaymondBumcheese@reddit

Please let me know how I can get brave on my Apple TV…

[-]

LayerComprehensive21@reddit

Jailbreak and run Linux on it.

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

That’s not the conversation we’re having.

[-]

NoodleDoodlesocks@reddit

Your the one who brought ads up. Ad blocking and script filtering software is absolutely a reason for some people still using youtube despite it being barely functional anymore.

[-]

pasta-disaster@reddit

I know it’s expensive, but I can’t imagine being without YouTube Premium now! It’s made such a difference I can’t even remember what those crappy ads were like

[-]

jamdono@reddit

Two key reasons...

Google make it very easy to buy ads on YouTube, which means they make revenue across a very broad range of advertisers, many of which you won't have heard of and are using AI in Production. Google aren't being strict on quality of advertiser and are prioritising yield.
Well established brands tend to buy - via their agencies - the 'tier one' YouTube content (eg. Sky Sports channel) which comes at a Premium that the long tail of small advertisers couldn't afford. So if you frequent a broad range of YouTube channels, you'll see diverse advertisers. Stick in the top tier and you'll see a higher calibre of advertiser more frequently.

I personally subscribe to YT Premium, but the above knowledge comes from nearly 2 decades working in this industry.

[-]

AcanthisittaThink813@reddit

Is there a better alternative?

[-]

Mr-Incy@reddit

AI ads are very cheap and quick to make, which makes them desirable for the people trying to push their products, or scams, especially smaller companies. They are already having to pay YouTube for the advertising space, so why not make that advert as cheap as possible.

I am not sure why you are replying to the people who are suggesting getting an adblock or using VPN with 'That's not the conversation', it makes you appear quite aggressive, and to frank, a bit of a dick. If you don't want to talk about doing that, don't reply to the people suggesting it.

[-]

RoutineCloud5993@reddit

Because Google has no shame, and will take money from everyone.

Plus the worse the quality of the ads, the business logic is that they'd be more likely to subscribe to premium. Especially if Google can keep clamping down on ad blockers

[-]

kcajjones86@reddit

You get adverts on YouTube? Who's crazy enough to watch YouTube on the official apps?

Revanced, sponsor block, ublock origin.

[-]

ukbot-nicolabot@reddit

A top level comment (one that is not a reply) should be a good faith and genuine attempt to answer the question

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

None of those are available on my television set. Inadequate attempt at a superiority complex.

[-]

miIk-skin@reddit

Is the superiority complex in the room with us now?

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

Girl, we’re not here to have a conversation about how to block YouTube adverts. I don’t care.

[-]

Mapleess@reddit

You always get those comments. Using the app is way better than on a web browser for me.

[-]

TheNotSpecialOne@reddit

Youtube Morph

[-]

StarShipYear@reddit

The answer is literally in the question you asked lol

[-]

Kyle_2099@reddit

install ublock origin

[-]

bdbamford@reddit

Why are not using an ad blocker for YouTube? Or paying for premium?

All free streaming is horrid without ad block or VPN.

BBC is a premium as UK public pay for it.

[-]

WinkyNurdo@reddit

I only watch the odd clip on YouTube. Adverts on any platform are brain rot. I avoid them all.

[-]

Active_Definition_57@reddit

Never seen a tai chi advert on YouTube. The algorithm must think its not for me.

[-]

doegrey@reddit

I assumed they don’t care if the adverts are real fake or annoying. It seems their marketing strategy has now changed to “how to be annoying enough that people will pay premium to make the adverts go away”.

[-]

Maximum-Day-8121@reddit

Watch it on brave browser or similar, ive not seen as any adverts in an absolute age.

[-]

Prize_Farm4951@reddit

Vpn set to Albania. Adverts are illegal there or something. Anyway its ad free.

[-]

Fancy-Licker-66UK@reddit

I only watch Free stuff on You tube! Mainly videos to help me do some things around the house. What a waste of money to subscribe. If it’s not on you tube , you usually end up finding it somewhere!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😎

[-]

Dazz316@reddit

The sheer amount of stuff that needs moderator is an impossible task for humanity. It's well over half a million hours a day. So we have to set up automated systems, systems that are going to be flawed, that many will work very hard to take advantage of.

[-]

Prestigious_Use_1305@reddit

Im just glad its jot just me getting targetted for the Thi Chi.

[-]

PositivelyAcademical@reddit

It took me far too long to realise that those were ads for t’ai chi and not ads for AI video generation tools.

[-]

JuanitaMerkin@reddit (OP)

Why?! Who is the target maket?!

[-]

Boboshady@reddit

I was wondering why I'd not seen these, but then realised I have premium (highly recommended).

But the answer is obvious, anyway - they pay. AI slop is cheap to make, so the only cost is the advertising revenue...and scams, well we know why they exist.

Both ultimately exist for the same reason - enough people click on them to make the outgoings and effort (which is now basically non-existent) worth it.

The problem with AI slop is it's so cheap to make, that people can literally spam them out and play the longer game - some will lose, some will win, it's about coming out on top overall. Plus, if you're going to dilute a market, you might as well dilute it with your own stuff, right?

There will absolutely be people who have bought the dream (usually a scam) of using AI content to sell drop shipped items and other 'make money quick' s~~cams~~hemes, but most of it is as simple as above - it's cheap and easy, so why not.

Obviously YouTube allow it for two reasons - they get ad revenue, and if it's so bad that it forces you to buy premium, then win anyway. There's really no serious competition to lose you to, not in a single location, anyway.

[-]

When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!

Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.