There may soon be a new way to place ads on YouTube, with parent company Google considering a change in its current process which could enable third-party ad platforms provide YouTube placements.

As reported by Reuters, Google has offered to ‘let rival ad intermediaries place ads on YouTube’ in order to address part of an EU antitrust investigation, and enable it to settle the case without a fine.

As per Reuters:

“The European Commission opened a probe last year to examine whether the world’s largest provider of search and video was giving itself an unfair advantage in digital advertising by restricting rivals’ and advertisers’ access to user data. The EU competition watchdog singled out Google’s requirement that advertisers use its Ad Manager to display ads on YouTube and potential restrictions on the way in which rivals serve ads on YouTube.”

That could, eventually, provide more flexible ad options for YouTube campaigns, via more avenues, which could make it easier to manage your YouTube ads from a single dashboard, within the flow of your other digital campaigns.

Though how, exactly, any such process would work remains to be seen. If Google were to enable more open access to YouTube ads, that would also likely require a change in approach to ad bidding, which could make it less favorable to create ads outside of its own apps, while it may only be looking to enable broader access in Europe, but not other regions.

Either way, it could open up new opportunities for YouTube ads and ad content, and facilitate new opportunities for digital marketing managers, in a range of ways.

We’ll keep you updated on any progress.