Twitter first launched in-stream video ads in the US in April this year as it ramped up its investment in video and content. The offering allows brands to have in-stream ads around premium content. Twitter has been testing in-stream video ads in the UK since July in partnership with more than 260 publisher accounts including Sky, ESPN, football clubs such as Manchester City and Arsenal, Global, Bauer Media, Huffington Post and Viacom, as well as global publishing partners such as Mashable, Bloomberg and Business Insider. "In-stream video ads give brands a superb opportunity to align with premium quality, brand-safe broadcast and publisher video at real scale," said Lucy O’Dwyer, Twitter’s EMEA head of video solutions. "Twitter in-stream gave us an opportunity to align PayPal to TV quality content and deliver it to our target market with performance that exceeded expectations," Jon Appleby, online video director of Havas Media Group said. Twitter is also expected to announce the UK's first original live programming deal tomorrow during the IAB Upfronts event.
Social media platform Twitter plans to launch in-stream video ads around premium content in the UK following three months of testing involving more than 260 publisher accounts, including Sky, several Premier League clubs, Bauer and Bloomberg. The move is part of a wider push by social networks such as Facebook and YouTube into live TV advertising that has seen them spend billions on new shows this year. Lucy O’Dwyer, Twitter’s head of video solutions for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in-stream ads offered brands the chance to "align with brand-safe broadcast and publisher video at real scale".