It took a while, but according to The Nikkei, Google Japan is finally introducing TrueView ads on the Japanese version of YouTube. TrueView lets viewers on YouTube decide over which ads they want to watch or ignore.
The obvious goal here is to get new advertisers and establish a new revenue stream on the Japanese market.
For that, YouTube Japan is reported to start with the so-called Instream ad format first (this ad format plays as a pre- or mid-roll) next month. Advertisers only need to pay when a viewer watches the ad in question in full.
According to The Nikkei, Google Japan is planning to integrate the so-called YouTube Inslate ad format later (where viewers get to choose which ads to watch during a longer video).
In Japan, YouTube’s biggest rival is a home-grown video sharing platform called Nico Nico Douga.