Facebook is taking aim at the television advertising market, in a roundabout sort of way, initially.
Kurt Wagner and Peter Kafka of Recode reported that the social network teamed up with A&E Networks and Tubi TV on a test whereby Facebook Audience Network will begin delivering video ads next week through applications that run via set-top boxes, such as Apple TV and Roku.
According to Wagner and Kafka, Facebook is not selling these ad spots yet, instead testing the process by running in-house ads, such as its recently launched campaign backing Facebook Live, as well as ads for its nonprofit partners.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the test to Wagner and Kafka, saying:
We are testing how to best deliver video ads through Audience Network to people watching content on connected TVs. Our goal is to bring relevant ad experiences to people both on Facebook and off. A&E also confirmed the test to Wagner and Kafka, saying in an emailed statement:
The OTT/CTV (over the top/connected TV) space is expanding rapidly among content viewers. However, the targetability for marketers and programmers alike is lagging behind. The Facebook project is the type of progressive thinking to which A&E Networks is incredibly committed.
On the subject of targetability, Wagner and Kafka reported that Facebook will be able to use all of its targeting capabilities via set-top boxes that are part of the test, even though those units are not directly connected to the social network.
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