Meta Expands Advertising Reach with Video Ads on Threads

In a significant expansion of its advertising ecosystem, Meta Platforms Inc. is rolling out video advertisements on Threads, its text-focused social media platform, along with several other ad innovations across its family of apps. The announcement, made during the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s NewFronts 2025, marks a strategic shift in how the tech giant monetizes its growing suite of social platforms.

According to Meta’s presentation at IAB NewFronts, the company is introducing video advertisements on Threads for the first time since the platform’s launch in 2023. This move comes as Threads reaches over 275 million monthly active users, making it an increasingly attractive destination for advertisers seeking to reach engaged audiences.

“We’re bringing video ads to Threads,” confirmed Simon Whitcombe, Meta’s VP of Americas, in a post on the platform. “Video ads will appear in-feed on Threads, giving advertisers more opportunities to reach people where they’re already spending time.”

The introduction of video ads on Threads represents a notable evolution for the platform, which TechCrunch reports was originally conceived as a feature within Instagram rather than a standalone app. According to Android Headlines, Meta pivoted to develop Threads as an independent application in response to Twitter’s (now X) changing landscape under Elon Musk’s ownership.

“Threads was meant to be just an Instagram feature,” wrote Pei Li of Tech in Asia, citing internal sources. “The decision to launch it as a standalone app came after Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and subsequent platform changes created an opportunity in the market.”

Beyond Threads, Meta is enhancing advertising options across its broader ecosystem. Deadline reports that the company is introducing “Trending Reels Ads,” which will allow brands to place advertisements alongside popular Reels content on Instagram. This feature aims to help advertisers capitalize on trending topics and viral content.

Additionally, Meta is reviving advertising capabilities for Facebook Live, as reported by Adweek. “We’re bringing back the ability for advertisers to run ads in Facebook Live broadcasts,” noted Kevin Simonson, VP of Social at Wpromote, on X (formerly Twitter). “This is a big win for creators and publishers who use Live to connect with their communities.”

Beta News highlights that these expansions come as Meta continues to compete for advertising dollars in an increasingly crowded digital marketplace. The company’s strategy appears focused on providing advertisers with more options to reach users across different content formats and engagement styles.

Industry analysts quoted by Musically suggest these moves reflect Meta’s confidence in its growing user engagement metrics. “Meta’s latest ad plans demonstrate their commitment to monetizing their full suite of platforms while maintaining user experience,” the publication noted.

For marketers and advertisers, these developments represent new opportunities to reach audiences across Meta’s ecosystem. As Simon Whitcombe emphasized in his Threads announcement, “This is just the beginning of our journey to build a thriving business ecosystem on Threads.”

The rollout of these new advertising features is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with global availability anticipated by the end of the second quarter of 2025.