Meta Experiments With Skippable Ads in Instagram Reels, Signaling Shift in Monetization Strategy
MENLO PARK, CA – October 17, 2025 – Meta is testing skippable advertisements within Instagram Reels, a move mirroring YouTube’s ad format and indicating a potential evolution in how the social media giant monetizes its short-form video content. The test, currently underway, introduces ads that users can bypass after a few seconds, a departure from Instagram’s existing ad formats which include sponsored posts and non-skippable “ad breaks” introduced last year.
The introduction of skippable ads represents a significant test for Meta as it seeks to increase revenue while maintaining a positive user experience. While Instagram already features ads between Reels, the skippable format allows for a more nuanced approach to ad delivery, potentially gathering valuable engagement signals without disrupting the viewing experience as drastically as non-skippable ads.
According to a Meta spokesperson, the company has no current plans to share ad revenue with creators, differentiating its approach from YouTube’s creator monetization model.
The timing of this test coincides with a broader trend of increased advertising investment in social media. A recent gartner 2025 CMO Spend Survey revealed that marketers are allocating an average of 30.6% of thier total budgets to paid media – a 10% year-over-year increase – with social media ranking as the second-largest digital channel for ad spend.
“Instagram has a higher purchase intent as a platform compared to facebook and YouTube,” explained Greg Carlucci, senior director and analyst at Gartner. “Any ad format that attempts to test and learn will benefit from learning how to implement social commerce and ad format types that cater to customer preferences.”
Carlucci added that while non-skippable ads typically command a premium price due to guaranteed viewership, skippable formats could allow Meta to gather new engagement data without overwhelming users, potentially prioritizing data collection over immediate revenue gains.
