The news: YouTube is giving connected TV (CTV) users the ability to skip to the most-viewed part of a video, helping them avoid slow moments or sponsored content.

• “Jump Ahead” uses a combination of AI and viewers’ watch history to identify the most popular segments in videos and let users skip ahead with a single tap.
• The feature was previously available on mobile and web for Premium subscribers and is now rolling out to Premium users who watch YouTube on its CTV app, per Android Authority.

YouTube users watch over 1 billion hours of content on TVs per day, per CEO Neal Mohan, making it the most popular format for YouTube viewing.

How it works: When CTV users double-tap to fast forward on their remote, a Jump Ahead option appears that lets them skip to the part that YouTube’s AI has determined is the most engaging or important.

Why it matters: Letting users bypass sponsored segments could hurt creator revenues, as it’s the only way for brands to reach Premium audiences.