AppLovin launches an SDK to put ads in Apple TV apps

Ads are coming soon to some of your favorite Apple TV apps, thanks to a new SDK that’s being released this month by AppLovin. Built around the tvOS platform, this offering lets developers incorporate videos ads into their apps in a clean and unobtrusive manner.

Although Apple’s tvOS is an extension of the tech company’s long line of platforms, developers have to do some significant modifications to their code in order for it to render correctly on a bigger screen. The same goes for how they’ll monetize their work. But instead of focusing on static banner ads or interstitials, AppLovin has set its sights on video.

“The television is not a platform where people click on or zoom in on. For a high-definition immersive campaign, the natural fit is video,” said company chief executive and cofounder Adam Foroughi. “Mobile started with banner ads, and they’re horrible for everyone. Now you got video, native, and it’s becoming more immersive. When you look at the television, it’s not a platform or screen people are clicking on. I can’t really understand a native static ad on the screen. There’s going to be an evolution.”

While ads could soon be coming to Apple TV through third-party providers, you probably won’t see a swarm of marketing campaigns. Foroughi admitted that it may take a few years and will depend on how quickly developers adopt the Apple TV. And don’t expect the big brands to immediately bring their big TV ad dollars to the platform — it’ll take some time to adjust. Most likely, developers will be the first to take advantage, to help boost usage of their apps, just like what occurred with the launch of the App Store for the iPhone.

MobilityWare CEO Jeff Erle told VentureBeat that general adoption will bring the brands. He shared that his company will be using AppLovin’s SDK in the future, but wouldn’t disclose which of its game titles would feature it, although its collection includes Solitaire, Blackjack, and Freecell.

Games are obviously an attractive target for advertising, but AppLovin isn’t focused on any particular market. Any developer that’s building for the Apple TV and wants to leverage video to monetize their work can use the SDK. The benefit, Foroughi said, is that the ads are targeted and measurable — his company’s platform can determine which ad has been viewed, by whom, and for how long. This fine-tuned metric is something that traditional TV hasn’t been able to measure, but on the computer has been possible.

AppLovin said that it’s working to get its Apple TV SDK in the hands of select partners, so those not chosen, but seeking to integrate it, will have to wait for now.