• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, December 13, 2011

Mobile video ad network Rhythm NewMedia has added a new in-banner video unit to its lineup. The company already offers in-stream and in-app pre-roll ads along with display formats. The new unit automatically plays video within a banner add, expanding to a full screen view when tapped.

In its third-quarter metrics report released last week, Rhythm said in-stream ads on its network, which appear as a commercial break in full TV episodes or before video clips, had an 87% completion rate. The in-app video ads had a 17.9% completion rate on average. Running auto-play video ads online is generally not considered a user-friendly practice.

Saying the user experience is a very important consideration for Rhythm, a company spokesman noted that audio for the in-banner video ad will only play if a user engages with the ad. In a demo, an ad for “The Lincoln Lawyer” plays in the left corner of a banner running along the bottom of the screen before expanding to full-page to show a trailer. How users respond should be more clear when Rhythm releases its next metrics report.