[tzs]

> If I were going to write an adblocker, I'd make it such that it pretends to load and play/display the adverts, meanwhile allowing the video which the user intends to watch through. The adblocker basically says somehow that "yup! I'm the browser and your advert was definitely rendered. Honest, guv'nor!"

They could delay serving the post-ad part of the video by the length of the ad. Your ad blocker could stop the ad from actually playing so you don't actually see it but your viewing would still be disrupted.

My guess is that for most people it is that disruption that annoys them more than actually seeing ads, and so this would still be effective as an inducement to subscribe.

On broadcast TV the content creators usually know when the ad breaks will occur, and they work that into their scripts. They structure their stories so that the ad breaks occur between the acts in the script. Most people are used to that and have no trouble picking up a book or magazine (in the old days) or their phone or tablet (nowadays) to pass the time during the ad.

On YouTube the ads often come right in the middle of something interesting going on in the video, which forced an abrupt context switch. So even if you don't see the ad itself the damage is done.