• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, January 16, 2016

Apple will shutter the iAd App Network as of June 30, 2016, the company wrote in a post on its developer's Web site late Friday.

It will no longer accept new apps into the network, but advertising campaigns may continue to run and brands can earn advertising revenue through June 30, the company's post explains.

Apple did not disclose its future plans for mobile advertising, but explained that those wanting to promote its apps through iAd can create a campaign using iAd Workbench.

The confirmation follows a BuzzFeed report explaining how Apple plans to phase out its iAd's sales force, while allowing publishers to self-service ads through a programmatic ad-buying platform. Apple would allow those who wanted to continue to keep 100% of generated revenue.

BuzzFeed suggested the move could prove to be a negative decision for Apple's partners like The Rubicon Project, which began supporting iAds in November 2014.

Some do not believe the news comes as a surprise. In 2014, CEO Tim Cook called iAd a "very small" part of Apple's business. eMarketer estimates the program captured a mere 5.1% revenue share of the U.S. mobile display advertising business, but does expect it to grow. In 2016, eMarketer expects Apple to take 5.4% market share.