Ad Blocking Statistics: Millennials Using Ad Blockers In Record Numbers

Though informal by nature, Pewdiepie's seemingly care-free Twitter poll is nothing to sneeze at. With arguably some of the largest millennial followings across top social media channels and networks, the finds of this poll are significant. Pewdiepie's audiences represent some of the web's most engaged and active demographics. With 40% of them using ad blockers en masse, this statistic represents massive disruption for advertisers and publishers -- so much so that the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) dramatically reversed its stance on ad-blocking with the statement, "we messed up."

Perhaps spurred on by global trends of ad blocking, YouTube launched their first-ever subscription service featuring ad-free videos. The problem? As evinced by an earlier Twitter poll, most of its avid consumers are already experiencing an ad-free YouTube via ad blockers. When it comes to paying for YouTube Red, one of Pewdiepie's followers deadpanned, "ad block is free -- I had forgotten YouTube even had ads."

In a rather serious Tumblr post, Pewdiepie goes into depth about ad blocking, paying for YouTube red, and why these two statistics are at the heart of what may be an advertising industry revolution. With so many differing opinions amongst YouTubers, advertisers, and audiences alike, it's difficult to imagine just how far the ramifications of millennial ad blocker use and/or lackluster YouTube Red sign-ups will have. Stay tuned.

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