More video ads could be coming to Facebook

Facebook has expanded its trial of mid-stream ads beyond Facebook Live as it looks for more ways to generate revenue from video.

Recode reports that the social media platform is letting a small number of publishers in the US try out mid-stream ads, providing the video has run for at least 20 seconds before the first ad begins.

Any subsequent ad must kick in at least two minutes later, and Recode notes that publishers get over half (55 per cent) of any revenue generated by the ads, with the remainder being retained by Facebook.

Ads within Facebook Live broadcasts were introduced last August, and Facebook reached agreements with many influencers in order to push live streaming to gain traction against the likes of Snapchat. However, these agreements are set to end soon, and Facebook reportedly has no plans to renew them.

Last week, Facebook also announced it is expanding its trail of Ad Breaks on Facebook Live in the US. These allow broadcasters to take a break from streaming to show short ads to viewers, with broadcasters earning a share of the resulting ad revenue.