diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/InfoBar.jsx b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/InfoBar.jsx
index 0c5f6297d1..630fd46148 100644
--- a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/InfoBar.jsx
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/InfoBar.jsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { SwitchContext, SwitchProvider } from '../providers/SwitchProvider.jsx';
 import { Tooltip } from './Tooltip.jsx';
 import { useSetFocusMode } from './FocusMode.jsx';
 import { useTypedTranslation } from '../types.js';
+import { usePlaybackControl } from './PlaybackControl';
 
 /**
  * @param {object} props
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ export function InfoIcon({ debugStyles = false }) {
  */
 function ControlBarDesktop({ embed }) {
     const settingsUrl = useSettingsUrl();
+    const { pauseVideo } = usePlaybackControl();
     const openOnYoutube = useOpenOnYoutubeHandler();
     const { t } = useTypedTranslation();
     const { state } = useContext(SwitchContext);
@@ -120,7 +122,10 @@ function ControlBarDesktop({ embed }) {
                 formfactor={'desktop'}
                 buttonProps={{
                     onClick: () => {
-                        if (embed) openOnYoutube(embed);
+                        if (embed) {
+                            pauseVideo();
+                            openOnYoutube(embed);
+                        }
                     },
                 }}
             >
diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/PlaybackControl.jsx b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/PlaybackControl.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c088bf760c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/PlaybackControl.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+export const EVENT_PLAY = 'ddg-duckplayer-play';
+export const EVENT_PAUSE = 'ddg-duckplayer-pause';
+
+export function usePlaybackControl() {
+    return {
+        playVideo: () => {
+            window.dispatchEvent(new Event(EVENT_PLAY));
+            console.log(EVENT_PLAY);
+        },
+        pauseVideo: () => {
+            window.dispatchEvent(new Event(EVENT_PAUSE));
+            console.log(EVENT_PAUSE);
+        },
+    };
+}
diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/Player.jsx b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/Player.jsx
index 1420dc43da..89811ce278 100644
--- a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/Player.jsx
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/components/Player.jsx
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ function useIframeEffects(src) {
             features.clickCapture(),
             features.titleCapture(),
             features.mouseCapture(),
+            features.playbackEvents(),
         ];
 
         /**
diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/features/iframe.js b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/features/iframe.js
index b252724b2a..3c9515d84b 100644
--- a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/features/iframe.js
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/features/iframe.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { AutoFocus } from './autofocus.js';
 import { ClickCapture } from './click-capture.js';
 import { TitleCapture } from './title-capture.js';
 import { MouseCapture } from './mouse-capture.js';
+import { PlaybackEvents } from './playback-events.js';
 
 /**
  * Represents an individual piece of functionality in the iframe.
@@ -74,5 +75,14 @@ export function createIframeFeatures(settings) {
         mouseCapture: () => {
             return new MouseCapture();
         },
+        /**
+         * @return {IframeFeature}
+         */
+        playbackEvents: () => {
+            if (settings.playbackEvents) {
+                return new PlaybackEvents();
+            }
+            return IframeFeature.noop();
+        },
     };
 }
diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/features/playback-events.js b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/features/playback-events.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6dd953420e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/features/playback-events.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { EVENT_PLAY, EVENT_PAUSE } from '../components/PlaybackControl.jsx';
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {import("./iframe").IframeFeature} IframeFeature
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Exposes video element in iframe.
+ *
+ * @implements IframeFeature
+ */
+export class PlaybackEvents {
+    /**
+     * @param {HTMLIFrameElement} iframe
+     */
+    iframeDidLoad(iframe) {
+        const document = iframe.contentWindow?.document;
+
+        const playHandler = () => document?.querySelector('video')?.play();
+        window.addEventListener(EVENT_PLAY, playHandler);
+
+        const pauseHandler = () => document?.querySelector('video')?.pause();
+        window.addEventListener(EVENT_PAUSE, pauseHandler);
+
+        return () => {
+            window.removeEventListener(EVENT_PLAY, playHandler);
+            window.removeEventListener(EVENT_PAUSE, pauseHandler);
+        };
+    }
+}
diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/settings.js b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/settings.js
index f0f52adc70..5f398bf479 100644
--- a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/settings.js
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/app/settings.js
@@ -103,4 +103,13 @@ export class Settings {
                 return 'desktop';
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Enables sending events to video embed
+     *
+     * @returns {boolean}
+     */
+    get playbackEvents() {
+        return this.layout === 'desktop';
+    }
 }
diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duck-player.js b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duck-player.js
index 4ea48c3ee6..aa9a00c511 100644
--- a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duck-player.js
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duck-player.js
@@ -396,6 +396,24 @@ export class DuckPlayerPage {
         });
     }
 
+    async firesPauseEventWhenOpeningInYoutube() {
+        const expectedEvent = 'ddg-duckplayer-pause';
+        /**
+         * @type {Promise<boolean>}
+         */
+        const evaluatePromise = this.page.evaluate((event) => {
+            return new Promise((resolve) => {
+                window.addEventListener(event, () => {
+                    resolve(true);
+                });
+            });
+        }, expectedEvent);
+
+        await this.page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Watch on YouTube' }).click();
+
+        await evaluatePromise;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return {Promise<void>}
      */
diff --git a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duckplayer.spec.js b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duckplayer.spec.js
index d2aa8456dc..438973786b 100644
--- a/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duckplayer.spec.js
+++ b/special-pages/pages/duckplayer/integration-tests/duckplayer.spec.js
@@ -94,6 +94,14 @@ test.describe('duckplayer iframe', () => {
         await duckplayer.hasLoadedIframe();
         await duckplayer.focusModeIsAbsent();
     });
+    test('fires pause when clicking on Watch on YouTube', async ({ page }, workerInfo) => {
+        test.skip(isMobile(workerInfo));
+        const duckplayer = DuckPlayerPage.create(page, workerInfo);
+        // load as normal
+        await duckplayer.openWithVideoID();
+        await duckplayer.hasLoadedIframe();
+        await duckplayer.firesPauseEventWhenOpeningInYoutube();
+    });
 });
 
 test.describe('duckplayer toolbar', () => {