Facebook Launches Auto-Play Video Ads

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By Todd Wasserman2013-12-17 13:28:38 UTC

Facebook's long-awaited and, for many, long-feared auto-play video ads are here.

The company announced Tuesday morning that it's testing such ads in the News Feed with a handful of advertisers. Among those are Summit Entertainment's Divergent, a film set for a March release. The ad for that film, and the other video ads, runs without sound unless you tap it, in which case you can also expand it to full screen. At the end of auto-play video, a carousel appears where you can click on two additional videos.

In a blog post, Facebook also notes that videos you see on mobile will have been downloaded in advance via a Wi-Fi connection — when available — so it won't affect your data plans.

Facebook has offered video ads for some time. However, the auto-play feature is new. The company paved the way for them by allowing auto-play video in the News Feed last week. The new unit has been rumored since last year and was originally supposed to appear in summer 2013, but was pushed back a few times. Prices for a 15-second auto-play video ad are said to range from $1 million to $2.5 million.

Image: Getty/Jonathan Nackstrand

Topics: Advertising, Business, Facebook