YouTube has increased Premium subscription prices again while simultaneously extending ad durations for free users. The platform, which earned over $40 billion in ad revenue in 2025, expanded unskippable 30-second ads in its TV app, breaking from the previous 15-second maximum.

Users recently reported encountering what appeared to be 90-second unskippable ads. YouTube initially denied testing such formats, claiming this was an error. The company later confirmed these longer ad breaks resulted from an interface bug that incorrectly displayed higher timers for shorter ads, promising a fix is now rolling out.

Despite the fix, the incident reflects YouTube's evolving business model. Viewers must either accept higher subscription costs or endure more intrusive advertising. While ad-blockers and alternative clients exist, YouTube actively works to counter these solutions, creating a continuous battle between platform and users over content access.