YouTube places ads in subscriptions feed as side-by-side ads expand to more live content

YouTube has started showing ads in users' subscriptions feeds while also expanding side-by-side ads on live content. YouTube announced side-by-side ads for live content last year, and users are now seeing the format in action. A Reddit user shared an example on mobile where a YouTube ad started playing underneath an ongoing livestream. The format keeps the live content going but mutes the stream during ad breaks so viewers hear audio from the ad rather than the video. After the ad ends, it fades away and the video's audio returns. Separately, a number of users have reported over the past few days that ads have started showing up in their subscriptions feeds. Even for users not using Premium, the subscriptions feed is generally presented ad-free as it is designed to focus solely on channels the user has directly subscribed to. These ads in the subscriptions feed show a clear Sponsored label. The increase in reports suggests it is probably an intentional change rather than a test.