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State of the Screens

Facebook is planning a more direct assault on YouTube, sources say

By February 12, 2018No Comments

Facebook is positioning its Watch platform as a direct competitor to YouTube.

Recent changes. Facebook now requires Watch videos be longer than 3 minutes to qualify for mid-stream ads. Those ads can appear only after 60 seconds of the video has played.

The previous standard was 90 seconds to qualify and, an ad could appear as soon as 20 seconds into the video.

YouTube and Facebook are the dominant social platforms for video consumption.

More. How Amazon’s Ad Business Could Threaten Google and Facebook

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.