Meta is accelerating its revenue push from Threads, this time with the introduction of video ads to its text-based social media platform. Meta is now testing the aforementioned feature on its Twitter-alternative – a development that was revealed during the company’s presentation at the 2025 IAB NewFronts, an industry event wherein digital media companies pitch advertising opportunities to marketers and agencies.
“We’re testing video ads on Threads so businesses can expand their reach and engage with their audience in a familiar way across multiple platforms,” the company noted in its official statement. It remains to be seen whether Meta’s increasing reliance on monetization across all its platforms leads to saturation, where the user experience is overshadowed by a barrage of ads, which would negatively impact both Threads and Meta.
According to Meta, a “small number” of advertisers can test video ad creatives in aspect ratios of 16:9 or 1:1. These video ads will appear in the Threads feed, integrated between organic posts, much like existing models seen on Instagram and Facebook. This marks the second major monetization effort on Threads after image-based ads were launched earlier in the year (tested in January, broader rollout in April). Meta has not yet disclosed specifics regarding ad pricing, targeting algorithms, or the frequency at which users will encounter video ads.
It has been nearly two years since Meta rolled out its answer to the then-floundering Twitter, and since then, Threads has experienced rapid growth. At that time, the platform gained traction by positioning itself as a more focused, ad-free alternative, and early users responded positively to the cleaner interface and lack of promotional content. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently reported that the platform surpassed 350 million monthly active users, and time spent on the app has increased by 35%. The company attributes this improvement in engagement to refinements in its recommendation algorithms, which now surface more relevant and appealing content to users in real-time. Now, the company’s introduction of responsive ad formats and real-time trend tracking follows in the footsteps of TikTok’s Pulse Suite, which similarly places brand ads adjacent to trending content.
In tandem with the Threads ad rollout, Meta unveiled additional advertising innovations during the NewFronts event. These include the launch of “Reels Trending Ads” on Instagram, which will place advertisements next to the most-watched Reels content. Advertisers will be able to target specific categories such as sports or beauty, aligning their brands with culturally relevant video content. Meta is also testing trends in its Creator Marketplace, allowing advertisers to identify popular trends using AI-powered tools and connect with creators accordingly.
In fact, new metrics such as hook rate and engagement rate are being added to creator profiles to provide advertisers with deeper insights into content performance. furthermore, in Facebook, the company is deploying a feature called “Video Expansion” that utilizes AI to automatically adjust the aspect ratio of ads by generating unseen pixels. Meta describes this as an effort to create “a more immersive and native experience” for users, enhancing video ad appeal without compromising the visual integrity of the platform.
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