Apple outlines News app ads, includes 'native ads' that display directly in content feeds

Posted:
in iPhone edited March 2016
Apple is preparing to expand its content-aggregating News app to support advanced advertising assets, with some specifications allowing for so-called "native ads" that appear in users' feeds inline with regular articles.




The upcoming ad functionality was detailed in a new developer document titled Ad Specifications for iAd (PDF link), which outlines seven ad formats -- Standard Banner, Medium Rectangle Banner, Double Banner, Large Banner, Interstitial Banner, Pre-Roll Video and Native Banner -- content creators can deploy in the iOS News app. Business Insider reported on the document's publication earlier today.

Most iPhone and iPad users have likely encountered one of Apple's banner ad blocks while browsing the App Store, iTunes or the Web via Safari, but the Native Banner specification is a new beast introduced to comply with the News app's RSS-style timeline.

As noted by Apple, the native ads are designed to pop up in the News content feed between normal content, with similar formatting of 22 to 64 text characters and a thumbnail photo. Like Web solutions provided by Google and scrolling ads seen in apps like Amazon and eBay, Apple's native banners will be distinctly labeled as promotional content with "Sponsored by" text appearing at the bottom of each banner ad.

The News app ad format specs come two months after reports claimed Apple had plans to wind down iAD operations. Instead of creating advertisements in-house, the company is said to be pushing an automated service that leaves ad creation, sales and management to publishers. As part of the supposed strategy shift, it was expected that publishers would keep all generated revenue, but Business Insider claims the customary 30 percent rate is to be applied to News spots.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    brakkenbrakken Posts: 687member
    This app as it currently stands is awful. It has huff post and wsj but not Appleinsider.
    wtf?
    and now it has adverts all through it.
    No thanks!
    tallest skil
  • Reply 2 of 13
    fh-acefh-ace Posts: 49member
    Mine has Appleinsider checked and works fine. Not pleased with more ads, but it's free and easy to scroll by them. 
    Just search on Apple and you should see Appleinsider as you scroll down the list. 
  • Reply 3 of 13
    Is there an opt-out option in news? 
  • Reply 4 of 13
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    brakken said:
    This app as it currently stands is awful. It has huff post and wsj but not Appleinsider.
    wtf?
    and now it has adverts all through it.
    No thanks!
    Well perhaps if you actually knew how to use the app. AppleInsider is right there in front of your nose.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    pretty much all the publications have advertisements so that's expected.
  • Reply 6 of 13
    For some reason, my wife's iPhone has the News app, but my phone does not. I wonder if it is a language setting, as opposed to a Region setting. I'm sure we are on the same region setting.
  • Reply 7 of 13
    matrix077matrix077 Posts: 868member
    brakken said:
    This app as it currently stands is awful. It has huff post and wsj but not Appleinsider.
    wtf?
    and now it has adverts all through it.
    No thanks!
    You can read Appleinsider in News app but unfortunately this site still doesn't support Apple News format so it doesn't look as good as others.
  • Reply 8 of 13
    josujosu Posts: 217member
    For some reason, my wife's iPhone has the News app, but my phone does not. I wonder if it is a language setting, as opposed to a Region setting. I'm sure we are on the same region setting.
    I have checked it and I can see the app in Spain if I change the region to the US, and language to English, I have returned to Spanish and is still there, so change your language to English and then return to your language, it worked for me as far as I keep the region in the US, the moment I return to Spain it goes, as well as if I change to English but the region is still Spain. Sorry to answer in public but I don't know how to use the private answer option.
    edited March 2016
  • Reply 9 of 13
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    brakken said:
    This app as it currently stands is awful. It has huff post and wsj but not Appleinsider.
    wtf?
    It "has" two major news sources but not a niche tech site?  Outrageous!

    Also, you can add AppleInsider pretty easily.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    TomETomE Posts: 172member
    fh-ace said:
    Mine has Appleinsider checked and works fine. Not pleased with more ads, but it's free and easy to scroll by them. 
    Just search on Apple and you should see Appleinsider as you scroll down the list. 
    I think you can pretty much add the news source that you want including Apple Insider. 
  • Reply 11 of 13
    2oh12oh1 Posts: 503member
    Apple has such a rich history of outstanding design, which is why it's such a shock that Apple News is a terrible app.

    The icon looks like it was designed by a child.  It's probably the worst app icon on my iPhone.

    To make matters worse, the news it opens with is always old, then it takes a long time to load the latest.  By comparison, the Google News app opens with a swirling icon that shows you it's loading new news.

    And the news it presents has no rhyme or reason.  This morning, I'm seeing a healthcare story about Silicon Valley tech firms as my lead story. Today?  The second story is about the election (What To Watch For In Florida, Ohio, etc).  That makes sense.  Then I'm seeing a slew of stories about football.  WTF?  Colt McCoy talks about a hit in the BCS championship Bama game?

    For comparison, Google News opens with my local forecast, followed by three top stories, then three local stories (and the option to click for more), three world news stories (and the option to click for more), three U.S. news stories (and the option to click for more), three tech news stories (and the option to click for more), science, business, sports, etc....

    I'm not saying the Google News app is perfect, but holy cow is the Apple News app bad, and if you compare it to Google News it's REALLY BAD.
  • Reply 12 of 13
    CoreMeCoreMe Posts: 3member
    If Apple would make the app for OS X (with sync capabilities), I would drop Feedly and any other newsreaders in a heartbeat. That would have to increase readership and income for all! Careful with the ads—if they are too obtrusive it will put off those pressed for time.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    I enjoy the news app, although I haven't tried any of the others available. Ads seem like a  step backwards, considering that ad-blockers are available in Safari. 
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