Youtube is adding "click-to-bu
The
annoucnement was made by
Google on Thusday, adding that it is launching the beta version
of "Adsense in Games," a technology designed to put relevant
advertising links in Web-based games.
"Click-to-buy" on Youtube
Youtube will start to sell music and video games and experiment
with new advertising formats to grow revenue.
The Google-owned business is taking the first steps toward
building an e-commerce service through which it will sell music,
films, TV shows, video games, books, concert tickets and other
media-related products featured on the millions of videos on
YouTube.
Youtube videos will feature a "click-to-buy" link to the watch
pages, placed on the watch page beneath the video with the other
community features. Visitors to YouTube.com can buy songs from
music videos they watch on the site by clicking on buttons that
take them either to Amazon's MP3 store or Apple's iTunes store.
YouTube users will also be able to buy video games, such as
Electronic Arts's sci-fi game "Spore" through the Amazon link (
Video)
Amazon and iTunes will share revenue with YouTube when users buy
content through the partnership.
One format with which YouTube is experimenting is InVideo
advertising, which runs text ads along the bottom of videos as
they play. Other formats include contests sponsored by
advertisers and home page video ads.
YouTube executives said pre-roll advertising, where a 10 to 20
second ad runs before a video starts, is not always the best
format for some of the shorter video clips on YouTube. But they
did not rule out using pre-roll ads altogether.
The company is also betting that its video ID system will help
drive advertising. Video ID enables content owners, such as music
and TV producers, to know when copies of their video clips are
uploaded to YouTube by users, YouTube said. The content owners
can then share in advertising generated around that copied clip.
The content owner could also use the video ID system to remove
the videos.
AdSense for Games
Google also
announced on Wednesday it is launching the
beta version of "Adsense in Games," a technology designed to put
relevant advertising links in Web-based games.
Developing new ways for game publishers to earn revenue, AdSense
for Games integrates video advertisements into web-based games,
complemented by text and image ads. Google said that it has been
working with select game developers and publishers including
Konami, Playfish, Zynga, Demand Media, games network Mochi Media,
as well as beta advertisers such as Esurance, Sprint, and Sony
Pictures.
For instance, in anticipation of a sporting event, an advertiser
can use the technology of AdSense for Games to feature its logo
within that sports event's accompanying online game and reach its
relevant demographic as a result.
AdSense for Games delivers video ads based on intended
placements, as well as image or text ads based on contextual
targeting with keywords and tags supplied by developers and
publishers. Advertisers are charged on a cost-per-impression or
cost-per-click basis, and ad revenue is split between Google and
game developers or publishers.
AdSense for Games is currently available in beta to select
partners in the U.S.
Google's entry into the gaming space has long been anticipated.
The company bought Adscape Media, an in-game advertising company,
in early 2007, less than a year after Microsoft Corp. in-game ad
company Massive Inc.
Yahoo already offers ad-supported, downloadable games.