YouTube pause ads are a new non-interruptive ad format that appears when users pause their organic content on the platform. This ad format is currently being tested on smart TVs and is designed to display alongside the paused video content.

According to Google's Philipp Schindler, the YouTube pause ads experiment has yielded very positive results. The company has seen strong traction from the introduction of pause ads on connected TVs, with these ads driving strong brand lift results and commanding premium pricing from advertisers.

As of now, there is no specific timeline shared for when YouTube pause ads will start appearing more widely. Google is currently gathering data from its ongoing experiment, and it is expected that the company will roll out pause ads more broadly after the experiment concludes, starting with smart TVs.