And Now, a Word From YouTube's Sponsor(s)

Google-owned video site phases in "unobtrusive" ads
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 22, 2007 8:15 AM CDT
And Now, a Word From YouTube's Sponsor(s)
A screen shot of the new Youtube "strip" ads.   (Digital Alchemy)

As it struggles to turn a profit, YouTube will begin to show ads overlaid on some videos, the Times of London reports. The spots will consist of a semitransparent strip covering 20% of the screen appearing 20 seconds into the video.They'll appear only on content from 1,000 "partners," ranging from established organizations such as Warner Music to popular amateur producers.

The 15-second spots are the $1.65 billion Google property's latest attempt to take commercial advantage of the site's popularity. YouTube developed the strategy after a more traditional model—a commercial break within each video—suffered what a product manager called "a very high abandonment rate." (More advertising stories.)

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