The web is littered with videos that play automatically that nobody asked for
But that dynamic may soon change if new web browsers coming from Apple and Safari gain wide adoption. These browsers will have some ad blocking products baked in - including features designed to block some autoplay videos.
According to the web video tech company JW Player, 65% of video plays that happen via Chrome browsers start automatically, without a person clicking on a play button. More than half (53%) of videos that are played using Safari start automatically.
JW Player help companies like Univision, Vice and the Washington Post post and deliver video on their websites. The company's video player technology is plugged into over 2 million publishers and reaches over a billion users a month. So while the data is not comprehensive - it doesn't include mobile apps, for example - the company has a pretty good view into the state of web video consumption patterns.
JW Player compiled this data to help prepare its clients for the coming browser updates from Apple and Google which will block certain types of ads by default, including video ads that play automatically with sound.
One thing that has been tough is that Google and Apple have not been as communicative as some would like on exactly how these browers tools will work.
"A lot of publishers are scrambling to understand this," said Bill Day, JW Player's chief operating officer. "They are saying we don't know how this effects us. So we're helping them get ready.
