AdSense Launches Premium Video Test

A few weeks ago Google announced a partnership with Viacom (NYT Coverage) to allow their AdSense publishers to put video clips (MTV video) on their websites with embedded advertising in them.

In the last 24 hours they’ve begun to roll out the program and a select group of publishers have been selected as beta testers of the 4 week pilot program (you can see a screen cap of one of the ads below).

You can see the ads in action at American Idol Blog for instance where an ‘Meet the Cast of Season 3’ Clip for Laguna Beach is running.

The videos are content from a variety of stations including Comedy Central, MTV and Nikelodeon. They generally go for a few minutes. The ad sizes available to participating publishers are 336×280 and 300×250 pixels. Ads must be placed above the fold.

Publishers earn money from the clips on a CPM basis. I’m hearing from a couple of publishers that the way that ad rates are determined is a little more complicated than just a payment per basic impression though. It seems that each video has the potential for multiple payments depending upon how long the viewer watches for and how many ads they see (ie there are numerous ads interspersed through each clip.

So if a reader of one of the sites in the test plays the video (they don’t start playing by themselves) and watches for just a minute or two it might only count as one impression as they only see the first ad, but if they watch the full clip but if they watch the full clip they will see multiple ads and the publisher will earn more.

Following is a full FAQ that was sent to publishers on the beta test.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this pilot?
Google is running an experiment with syndicated video supported by ads, to help publishers and video content owners better monetize their property. Premium video owners provide Google with their content, Google matches the content with ads, and the site owner presents the combined product to their users.

The content to be displayed through these units is premium. We’re running this pilot to open the door to initiate branding concepts within the Google AdSense advertising model, and you’ve been hand-picked (say “hand picked”, it sounds friendlier) to be one of the few exclusive partners to help launch this program. Advertisers ready to move forward are of the highest caliber, and the value-add of supplying this content is tremendous. If successful, these efforts will become more robust, and the end results will greatly enhance the user experience on your site.

What is the video content?
For the initial test, we will be using channels of video content provided by MTV Networks, such as from their Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, The N, and Nickelodeon channels. The video content is mostly short-form clips of up to a few minutes in length.

What are the ads?
For the purposes of this test, the video advertisements are provided by MTV Networks; the interstitial ads will be varying lengths (most 30 seconds or less) and shown between segments of the video content. For future syndicated video, Google will be leveraging its network of advertisers to match content to advertisement for syndicated video content.

How much money will I make?
Revenue is generated on a CPM basis, by the number of views on each ad inside the content. For instance, if someone watches the first three minutes of the content, and sees two interstitial ads, you will be paid for those two views. There is no payment unless a user has seen an ad within the content.

For syndicated video, the revenues will be split three ways, between the content owner, Google, and the site owner. For the purposes of this test, Google is not disclosing the three-way revenue split.

Please also understand that CPM values and expected payouts at the end of this pilot cannot be disclosed at this time.

How do I add this to my page?
We will send you all necessary code amendments and modifications, which can simply be dropped-in to the source code of your page.

What is the unit size?
The embedded video player is the standard IAB 336×280 size.

Do I have to put this in a certain place on my page?

You can place this unit above the fold (ATF) anywhere on your site, but keep in mind that you should try and optimize its position for playbacks.

How many impressions will I get?
is is the first experiment of this type, we are not making projections of impressions or views. This video content, however, is only available to certain sites, so there is an element of exclusivity that your users may find attractive, and may help you get new visitors.

Are we guaranteed to make at least as much as our ads would?
For the purposes of this test, we are not making revenue guarantees or predictions. This is a new concept in Google advertising history and we have worked hard with our advertisers to secure inventory for this premium channel. Our expectation is that monetization will only improve as this channel, concept, and project becomes more built out, but until then, we’re in full beta with this pilot. As such, your patience and collaboration is of extreme value to us.

Will ads be served through AdSense or will I have to implement another type of code?
Ads will be served through special code provided for the purposes of this test, though publishers will be paid through their AdSense account.

Will Google serve the highest paying ad/content or is this a fixed unit?
This is a fixed unit, serving only the channel content that you select for your site. There is no auction of content for the purposes of this test.

How much reporting and tracking will I have access to?
We expect that reporting will be minimal for this pilot. If front-end reporting isn’t available, we’ll do our best to get you metrics at the close of the pilot.

How often does the video content refresh/change?
Content will likely change every three to seven days.

Do I have to reinsert the code when it changes?

No. By adding the video unit to your page, the content will automatically update without your changing the code on your site.

Can I have more than one unit on my page?
No, you can only have one of these video units per page.

Will the video unit be click-to-play, or initiated upon pageview?
The video unit will be click-to-play, meaning initiated by the user, NOT upon pageview.

Will there be alternate ad capability with these video units?
No. Since these video units are not standard ad units (we’ll send you the code when you’re ready!), you will only have the ability to serve this content through this pilot’s unit.

Is there a separate legal agreement or will Google just serve through AdSense with the standard AdSense T&Cs?
AdSense Online Standard Terms and Conditions apply to this pilot.

How long is the pilot, and when does it start?
The pilot will span for four weeks, with a start date of August 21st.