YouTube says more advertisers are using its six-second bumper ads, which were introduced last year.
Robert Kyncl, YouTube chief business officer speaking at the Dmexco conference in Germany Thursday, said that one in three of YouTube’s large customers are now using bumpers to get their message across quickly to viewers.
There has been a 70% increase in the number of YouTube customers adopting the shorter ad format from first quarter 2017 to second quarter 2017.
YouTube is also launching a leaderboard that ranks the top six-second spots from around the world.
In the television business, Fox Networks Group has been aggressively pushing six second ads. The shorter commercials ran during Fox’s Teen Choice broadcast and can now been seen in sports programming including NFL broadcasts.
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YouTube also announced its first advertising supported original series to originate in Europe.
The series, tentatively titled Training Days, will look for laughs behind the scenes with some of soccer’s biggest stars.
The unscripted show from Fulwell 73 will be executive produced by James Corden, Ben Winston, Gabe Turner and Leo Perlman. Turner will be director and showrunner.
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The 10-week series is expected to launch in the spring of 2018 as the World Cup gears up.
In each episode a show host will visit the training facilities of an elite European soccer team with a comedic approach.
“This is our first venture working with European partners to develop advertising-supported premium programming for both global and local audiences," Kyncl said. “We want to support them in creating groundbreaking stories and format and expose them to our billion-and-a-half strong audience.”
The show will be offered to sponsors with what YouTube called unique advertiser opportunities.
Earlier this year, YouTube announced it would launch premium shows. The first was Katy Perry Witness streamed in June to 50 million views.
Other shows feature Ellen Degeneres, Demi Lovato, Ludacris and Kevin Hart.
