Twitter to bring pre-roll ads to Periscope videos

Twitter is chasing the money, and Periscope is their next target. Per an announcement today, Twitter will soon allow publishers and creators to monetize their Periscope content with support of pre-roll ads within video.

With pre-roll ads, viewers will receive the same user experience that is seen within Twitter videos, just now extended to Periscope. This enables brands to engage with viewers with their marketing message before the actual video is viewed. Just scroll through the Periscope feed, and all videos (live and replay videos) will start with an ad.

This is a win-win-win for Twitter, broadcaster/video creators and brands. Twitter makes a cut of the profits, broadcasters earn as well, and marketers now have a new source of advertising to reach potentially new markets. For brands, the deal is sweetened by the fact that ads can be displayed on premium publishers and content creators. But many consumers won’t see it as a win. A study last year revealed that pre-roll video ads are a big turn-off, at least when consumers are trying to watch news-oriented videos.

To get started, a brand must engage through the Amplify program. The rollout will occur over the next few months.