Fox adopts six-second ad format used by YouTube
Fox Networks Group (FNG) is adopting the six-second “unskippable” ad format used by YouTube in a bid to increase its online ad revenue. FNG will launch the format on its streaming services before it is rolled out to linear television. It is the first time that a television broadcaster has used the format, according to FNG.

Fox Networks Group is adopting the six-second, “unskippable” ad, following in YouTube’s footsteps as it tries to cater to its growing number of online viewers.

FNG announced the move at the Cannes Lions conference, alongside executives from YouTube, which instituted the six-second ad format last year. FNG’s first such ads will debut on its streaming services and then eventually on linear television, the company said.

“One of our biggest priorities at Fox Networks Group is figuring out the best way for a brand to reach a consumer that captures the right kind of attention,” said David Levy, FNG’s executive vice president of non-linear revenue. “We’re excited to deploy this new format.”

FNG said that it was the first time a television broadcaster had adopted the new ad format.

Advertisers and digital platforms have struggled to come up with ways to keep viewers’ eyeballs on ads as attention spans shorten and more and more people watch videos on their mobile devices. YouTube says that an ad lasting six seconds hits the sweet spot.

“Since we piloted this format last fall, we’ve seen on YouTube that six seconds is both long enough and short enough,” said Tara Walpert Levy, vice president of agency and media solutions at YouTube and its parent company, Google. “It’s great for on-the-go users who appreciate the succinct message, for creatives who appreciate the constraint, and for brands who value the consistent results.”