The Web site for
The New York Times Web, NYT.com, will begin pre-rolling video ads for Absolut Vodka in front of streaming video content from its technology section, Heather Keltz, director of
ad operations at The NYT.com, said Monday.
Keltz said NYT.com started offering in-stream online video advertising last month with Viewpoint's Unicast In-Page online video technology. Unicast was
acquired by technology firm Viewpoint, Inc. on Jan. 3; the merged company now goes under the better-known rich media brand Unicast.
Previously, the Times site only offered advertisers the ability
to show video ads within banner ad units. Fox Searchlight is the Web site's first online video advertiser, signing a six-month deal to be the exclusive sponsor of the "Movie Minutes" section, where
users can watch film reviews and reports from Times critics.
So far, ads have run 30 seconds, but Keltz said that The NYT.com intends to add a 15-second format; the ad length will depend on the
length of the clip an ad precedes.
NYT.com increased its online video inventory with its October 2004 redesign of technology section, which carries video reports from tech columnist David Pogue.