Instagram to share revenue with creators through IGTV ads

Instagram will begin showing advertisements on IGTV starting next week. The company has been hinting at the introduction of ads on IGTV and has now confirmed it will do so starting next week. The photo-and-video-sharing platform will also share the revenue generated via ads with its creators for the first time. 

Instagram’s ‘Doing More to Support Creators on Instagram’ blog post states that ads will appear when people click to watch IGTV videos from previews in their feed.

The video ads will be up to 15 seconds long and are built for mobile, which means they will be in vertical format. The company will also test various experiences within IGTV ads throughout the year — such as the ability to skip an ad - to make sure the final result works well for people, creators and advertisers.

The Facebook-owned app has reportedly partnered with 200 approved, English-speaking creator partners and advertiser partners like Ikea, Puma, and Sephora. Instagram will bring more partners on board and expand this group further in the coming days. Justin Osofsky, Instagram’s COO told The Verge that creators will get 55 percent of the revenue, which is the “industry standard.”

The second big Instagram feature coming up is Badges. “During the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve seen people supporting their favourite creators in Live with comments, likes and donations. To give fans another way to participate and show their love, we’re introducing badges that viewers can purchase during a live video,” Instagram said. 

Badges will appear next to a person’s name throughout the live video. Fans who have purchased badges in Live will stand out in the comments and unlock additional features, including placement on a creator's list of badge holders and access to a special heart. 

Instagram will begin testing Badges next month with a small group of creators and businesses. Over the coming months, it will expand across the US, Brazil, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Spain, and Mexico.