• The Next Web, Monday, June 13, 2011 11:42 AM

Late last year, YouTube debuted TrueView pre-roll ads, which users could skip if they were so inclined. "The news didn't seem too great for advertisers," The Next Web writes. "Although it meant you only paid if someone watched the full ad or the first 30 seconds (whichever was shorter), the implication of course was that most people would skip past the ads."

What might surprise many: Only about 30% of viewers are skipping the pre-rolls, Bruce Daisley, sales director at YouTube & Google, tells The Next Web. "This is a surprising figure and shows people's willingness to consume ads from brands online, provided they're relevant and entertaining," it writes.

What's more, Daisley said that users who have chosen to watch the ads on YouTube are 75% more engaged on average than users who were subjected to standard ads. Citing a case study with Walkers, this figure improved even more with users viewing ads they'd chosen to watch being 273% more engaged than those that were subjected to the standard pre-roll ads.

Read the whole story at The Next Web »