Dive Brief:
- Twitter is now selling pre-roll ads on Periscope video within the Twitter platform, the company announced in a blog post.
- The ads will run both before live streams begin as well as on archived Periscope video on Twitter.
- Marketers will be able to buy the new ad format through Amplify, Twitter's current pre-roll video ad product. Mike Folgner, group project manager at Periscope, wrote in the post that the pre-roll product provides marketers "a new source of brand-safe video advertising beyond what was previously available."
Dive Insight:
After a bleak Q4 report that disclosed declining ad revenue for the first time since the company went public, Twitter — both on its main platform and properties like Periscope — continues to double down on video as its new monetization linchpin.
Selling pre-roll ads on live Periscope video should benefit video producers, who can now make money on their live content, as well as marketers looking to tap into those unique audiences. The inventory for the new format might be limited, however, as only Periscope video from Amplify partners will be available to include advertisements.
In February, it was reported that Twitter was planning a major retooling of its advertising business to convince brands to make bigger buys on multimedia spots and video spots, in particular, with the Periscope news potentially arriving as the latest development in that story.
It's interesting that Folgner underscores a "brand-safe" environment in the announcement. Twitter has long been criticized for not doing enough to account for trolls and hate speech on its platform, but other major tech players, namely Google, are currently mired in their own brand safety woes, and Twitter might be trying to assure new Periscope marketers that a stronger defense is in place.
Last week, Twitter made professional live broadcasts on its main platform easier by releasing the Periscope Producer API, which allows creators to connect external devices like camera equipment and production software for live streaming directly to Twitter without having to go through the Periscope app.
