Facebook users could begin seeing video ads this summer, the Financial Times reported. The ads would play automatically and silently in a user's news feed until the user clicked on one, at which point an ad would restart with sound--an ad format that has been used by other online publishers.
Facebook expects the ads will fetch more than $20 for each thousand views they receive, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with Facebook's plans.
Online video advertising has been rising and is expected to exceed $4 billion in 2013, according to eMarketer. Facebook sold $1.25 billion of online ads during the first three months of 2013, it told investors last week. That represented a 43 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Adding video ads could help it increase ad sales even faster.
Advertising Age reported in December that Facebook was preparing to sell video ads in a bid to lure more marketing money its way.
For more:
- the Financial Times had this story (reg. req.)
Special report: New advertising formats, timing could help monetize online video advertising
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