Methods and apparatus for mandatory video viewing

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations for providing a timeline for navigating playback of a video along with mandatory ads and preventing a skip past the mandatory ads in the timeline until the mandatory ads are viewed, the operations comprising:

• rendering, in a graphical user interface of a computing device, a graphical representation of a timeline for playback of a video and the mandatory ads;
• rendering, during playback, on the timeline a first icon indicating a completed portion, a second icon indicating a downloaded portion, and blocking icons indicating mandatory ads;
• receiving, during playback, a navigation command on the timeline to advance playback beyond a mandatory ad that has not been rendered and prohibiting advancing playback during the video to any portion of the timeline beyond the mandatory ad until the mandatory ad has been rendered, wherein a blocking icon corresponding to the mandatory ad is removed from the rendering of the timeline subsequent to the mandatory ad being rendered;
• and
• extending the second icon based on the mandatory ad being rendered.

A system, comprising:

• a computing device comprising a processor;
• and
• a memory having executable instructions stored thereon, that, if executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations for providing a timeline for navigating playback of a video along with mandatory ads and preventing a skip past the mandatory ads in the timeline until the mandatory ads are viewed, the operations comprising:
• rendering, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of a timeline for playback of a video and the mandatory ads,
• rendering, during playback, on the timeline a first icon indicating a completed portion, a second icon indicating a downloaded portion, and blocking icons indicating mandatory ads,
• receiving, during playback, a navigation command on the timeline to advance playback beyond a mandatory ad that has not been rendered and prohibiting advancing playback during the video to any portion of the timeline beyond the mandatory ad until the mandatory ad has been rendered, wherein a blocking icon corresponding to the mandatory ad is removed from the rendering of the timeline subsequent to the mandatory ad being rendered, and
• extending the second icon based on the mandatory ad being rendered.