YouTube has brought skippable video ads to its mobile site. The TrueView ad format, which has been available on desktop since 2010, gives viewers the choice whether or not to watch a video ad, and only charges advertisers if they choose to watch the full ad.

Its a format that suits mobile users well, given how quickly video content can eat into data limits, and the fact that most mobile content is consumed quickly, and on the go. 

It might be hard to imagine users actually choosing to watch ads, but 65 per cent of the ads that play before videos on desktop are currently skippable, according to YouTube – and 15-45 per cent of YouTube viewers choose to watch ads, depending on their content.

“Over recent years, we’ve seen that mobile advertising is a powerful way for brands to build awareness, engage people who are watching multiple screens, and drive in-store conversions. We’ve focused on creating tailored ad formats that work for the user experience on mobile, whether it’s searching or watching videos,” said YouTube group product manager for monetization Phil Farhi in a blog post. “Bringing TrueView video ads to mobile devices will make it easier to create and manage multi-screen campaigns and will give you additional reach.”