Video Ads Are Headed to Your Uber Apps

Get ready to experience ads, including long-form video ads in all your favorite Uber apps. You’ll see these inside the Uber app while waiting for a ride, as you’re paying, ordering food with Uber Eats and Drizley, its alcohol delivery service.

According to The Wall Street Journal, users in the United States could already be seeing these ads starting this week, with a more broad rolling shortly. That said, there is a silver lining: Uber confirmed ads are muted by default.

It sounds like we’ll see ads in many places from Uber, which the company says is a key growth area. Mark Grether, vice president and general manager of Uber Technologies, told WSJ that tablets installed in many Uber vehicles would show ads too.

Uber and Uber Eats have shown static ads for a few years now, typically at the top of the screen or in ways that weren’t all that intrusive. However, it looks like this is a big expansion in how the ad platform will operate.

The long-form ads, up to 90 seconds in length, will only be shown on tablets inside Uber vehicles. However, regular users will still see shorter images and video ads throughout each app.

For example, the Uber Eats app will instantly play video ads after a customer places an order. And when you open the app to check its progress, other ads will continue until deliveries arrive. The company also confirmed Drizly would have ads in the search results, on the app, website, and other areas.

While these ads will start appearing for US users this week, the company plans to expand to other markets, including the U.K., France, and Australia later this year.

via Engadget