Twitter Is Selling Video Ads on Apps That Aren't Twitter

You no longer need to be on Twitter to see a Twitter-style video ad.

Twitter announced Thursday that it’s now selling autoplay video ads inside of other apps through its MoPub ad network. That means that an advertiser buying video ads on Twitter can use the same targeting to show people video ads inside other apps that they use, like Words With Friends, said Ameet Ranadive, senior director of revenue products at Twitter. (Reminder: Twitter has been collecting data on which other apps you have on your phone for some time now.)

The move means Twitter can sell more video ads than it could otherwise fit into user timelines. The obvious benefit: Video ads are typically the most lucrative ad type around, which means Twitter can make more money from selling them. The move could also help boost Twitter revenue, which has historically been the strongest part of Twitter’s business under the leadership of revenue boss Adam Bain.

Video ads are increasing in popularity thanks in large part to the targeting capabilities of social networks and the rise of mobile video. Twitter isn’t alone in looking for more real estate to sell video ads. In fact, Facebook announced the same ad-buying feature just last week for a lot of the same reasons.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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