ABC demands explanation after YouTube shows video ads against its content
The ABC has demanded that YouTube stop showing advertising against its content and explain how a 15 second Head & Shoulders commercial came to be played ahead of programming from ABC1’s Australian Story.
The national broadcaster has refuted YouTube’s claim that the video ad would only have been shown because the ABC signed up for it.
The issue came to light after Mumbrella revealed earlier today that YouTube, which is owned by Google, is running occasional 15s pre-roll ads for Head & Shoulders and Gillette on videos uploaded to the ABC’s NewOnABCTV YouTube channel.
Earlier today, YouTube insisted to Mumbrella that it only showed pre-roll ads, an innovation that began within the last few weeks, on premium channels that had signed up for a revenue sharing deal.
A YouTube spokesman told Mumbrella:
“YouTube partners can now opt-in to in-stream ads for premium content”
And when we attempted to clarify if this indeed meant that the ABC had opted in, the spokesman said: “Just to confirm, partners need to opt in to show pre-roll ads.”
However, the ABC tonight insisted no such deal was in place on its NewOnABCTV channel which it uses to promote forthcoming shows. The ABC told told Mumbrella:
“The ABC has no agreement with Google to run advertisements on the YouTube channel NewonABC TV.
“When it was brought to our attention that a pre-roll advertisement was featured on this channel, ABC requested the immediate removal of the advertisement. The ABC has also requested a response from YouTube regarding how an advertisement came to appear on the channel.”
The ABC spokesman added: “The ABC does accept advertising on two of its ABC Commercial YouTube channels – ComedyonABC and EntertainmentonABC – of which it derives a percentage share of ad revenue and always with contractual terms relating to the preservation of editorial integrity of the ABC content found on those two channels.”
Mumbrella has requested a further comment from YouTube.
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Bollocks
Some one at the ABC stuffed up.
YouTube has ALWAYS had this as opt-in. Someone with access to the account ticked the wrong box.
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This could get interesting… Someone’s going to get a bloody nose over this, I suspect. Perhaps it WAS a trial and now they’re backing out? Wouldn’t surprise me. Anyway, it’s not on…
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Given how hard it is to get a YouTube account into the YouTube Partner Program, and how seriously they take it compared to AdSense, I’m with Duncan on this one…
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Just to stir the pot, as long as its core Australian broadcasting and abc.net.au is ad-free, why not create a commercial model for broadening the reach of Australian content outside Australian borders? I fund the ABC to provide me with high quality Australian content, the international audience does not fun the ABC. Maybe advertising on international channels can be de facto funding. I’m sure it would be possible for YouTube to serve pre-roll ads only to viewers outside Australia, so I say why not!?
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Alex’s point is interesting and has some merit.
For example, the BBC has UKTV in Australia that gains advertising revenue.
The ABC has the Australia Network for abroad. Although this is quite different in its intent (more soft diplomacy then entertainment), maybe the ABC needs deliberate channels for international viewership which could be partially funded by advertising.
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Who cares…?
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