Twitter Launches New Monetization Feature With Pre-Rolls On Periscope

Twitter today announced a new monetization opportunity for video publishers via pre-roll ads that can appear before Periscope live streams.

The ads will function much in the same way as traditional video ads on Twitter, according to a company blog post, and will tout a “brand-safe” component in that campaigns must be designed through Twitter’s Amplify program, in which marketers can choose to run against premium content from publishers like MTV and the NFL. Given the boycott that YouTube is facing after brands discovered that ads were running against extremist content, this means that Periscope ads, for now, will only appear ahead of high-profile events broadcast by top-tier publishers, such as award shows

Longer pre-roll ads will be able to be skipped, reports The Verge, and publishers will reportedly take a 70% cut of any ad revenues with Twitter pocketing the remaining 30%, according to Recode.

Periscope ads represent another potential revenue stream for Twitter, which reported slumping ad revenues last quarter, and which is also reportedly weighing the release of a paid subscription option. Twitter is also slated to make its debut at this year’s NewFronts to tout its various initiatives in the video realm.