https://searchengineland.com/youtubes-crackdown-on-ad-blockers-intensifies-432213
The platform warns it will block video playback unless users allow ads or pay $13.99 a month for YouTube Premium.
There is a discussion on Hacker News, but feel free to comment here as well.
I'm pretty sure that the majority of people using ad blockers on Youtube will never, ever buy something based on a forced Youtube ad.
So far I'm still using Vanced (works sometimes) and New Pipe (works all the time) and both do not display any ads at all.
Long time back I wanted to migrate but at that point I found the installation procedure overly complex and time consuming. Not sure if I misunderstood something or if it has changed since then.
It's not as easy as vanced, but there's some decent guides out there. Basically download the latest YouTube APK, run it through re-vanced, pick some options to block ads, then install the patched APK.
I hate to link back to Reddit, but here's the guide
https://www.reddit.com/r/revancedapp/comments/xlcny9/revanced_manager_guide_for_dummies/
If you have an iPhone, just switch to Android.
I've gotten one popup about it. Hit the X to close it and it hasn't come back. Windows 10, Firefox, ublock origin.
Crazy thing is a make a white list for creators I enjoy and sub to but if I'm just looking to kill some time at lunch or looking for something time sensitive I don't want to be bothered by an ad for a video I'll be on for 5 second only for it not to be what I need then move on to the next video to watch another ad
YouTube is severely forgetting it's place on the internet.
I pay for a certain amount of bandwidth. Yes, the speed drops depending on what and how things are connected, but you are guaranteed by law to get the speed you subscribed to at the point of connection to the internet. Ads steal your bandwidth.
I have ad blockers for YouTube even on my Nvidia Shield, phone, and tablets. If they try to block me I'll just start using a VPN and not log in.