Not surprisingly, the new ads appear to be limited to premium content, specifically music videos. According to CNET, the first sponsor to make use of the new format is Visa. Now, users viewing music videos won’t just see an overlay with the options to buy the track on iTunes or Amazon, but also a “Sponsored by Visa” message and logo.
Fortunately for users, this ad format isn’t really any more invasive than existing YouTube ads, since it’s just an addition to the click-to-buy ad spot. For YouTube, it’s more evidence that Google sees a much larger monetization opportunity in premium content than user-generated as the site continues to grapple with significant financial losses and the threat from Hulu.
Additional YouTube Resources from Mashable
- 20+ Greasemonkey Scripts for Improving Your YouTube Experience