Net operators warming to video ads

Several Web publishers, including About.com and iFilm.com, have started testing new video advertising technology from Eyeblaster, in a sign of further momentum for online commercials. Eyeblaster, which makes software to deliver graphics-rich online ads, said that it has signed up four Web publishers to test its new video advertising software, called the VideoClip Module. The software, which supports Windows Media and Flash-created content, lets publishers stream commercial clips directly into video broadcasts online, thereby earmarking new ad inventory. In addition to About.com and iFilm, CondeNast's online arm CondeNet and World Wrestling Entertainment are testing the software, which was released Monday. "We will be able to monetize the 7 million to 9 million streams we serve each month as premium ad inventory," David Cohn, World Wrestling Entertainment's ad director, said in a statement.

Many other publishers are testing the video waters, too. Reuters and Microsoft's MSN are among the online publishers to produce free video for Web surfers and support the services with pre- and post-clip commercials.