National Football League (NFL) fans can now watch video clips of the league on Facebook as the social networking company has teamed up with the league. However, there's a catch. While you're at it, you'll also have to watch a short advertisement from Verizon.
For people who are not so fond of video ads, the saving grace is that the ads will play only when the video is done.
Facebook is apparently testing this system. According to The Wall Street Journal, the social networking site has partnered with the NFL for the experimental ad strategy.
"This is a small video sponsorship test, and we will be evaluating how people, publishers, and marketers respond to this kind of co-branded video content on Facebook. We have nothing else to share at this time," a spokesperson for Facebook told the WSJ.
Following the deal's terms, NFL highlights and news clips will be trailed by Verizon ads. The carrier will be shelling out money to promote the NFL videos, which will be shared on NFL fans' news feeds on Facebook.
The WSJ also reported that the revenue generated will be divided between the NFL and Facebook. How exactly the revenue will be shared is unknown at this juncture.
The partnership seems akin to the existing Amplify program from Twitter, which takes video clips and combines them with short ads. The revenue generated is shared by the owners of the content. In 2013, Twitter partnered with the NFL for its Amplify program, and the league reportedly generated over $10 million from the deal.
However, one thing that could set Facebook's initiative apart from Twitter's Amplify program is that Facebook's strategy has no intention of rolling out the ads ahead of the video content.
The ads are now live on NFL's Facebook page where the videos are listed. Once the 30-second video clip ends, a 10-second Verizon ad appears.
