Report: Facebook auto-play video ads won't show in 2013

As Facebook advertisers everywhere gear up for what could be a very lucrative holiday season, there’s one hotly-debated ad format they won’t be able to try — the auto-play video ad. According to AllThingsD, these controversial video ads will not grace a News Feed in 2013.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9771f9f30ae72379f493137422ec765b”]Facebook has kicked the can down the road yet again on this high-risk, high-reward advertising unit that could be a big boost to Facebook’s bottom line or alienate readers, a source told AllThingsD:

The main reason for the current delay? Facebook recognizes the risk of upsetting its user base with the ads, which are expected to play automatically (though audio will have to be turned on by the viewer), so it wants more time to evaluate how its users have interacted with similar noncommercial videos that it started to allow on its platform earlier this year.