Google’s long-awaited plans to bring the ease of its paid search listings to advertising on Web video is finally underway, aiming to do for video what it has done for text.

Ad spending on video ads has been a small fraction of the overall Internet ad pie, but building a bridge to Google’s massive ad network could change that. The program gives publishers the ability to choose which ads go with which video and where the ads play during the clip.

Google’s AdSense for video kicked off in beta on Thursday with 20 partners including Brightcove, YuMe, and Blip.tv.
(New York Times)

Keep an eye on:

• Hollywood directors gave their final stamp of approval on Wednesday to a contract deal that helped pave the way for a settlement of the damaging 101-day strike by screenwriters against film and TV studios. The three-year pact between the studios and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of union members. (Reuters)
• News Corp, Yahoo discussions continue. Still no official bid. (TechCrunch)
• Paramount quietly backs Sony’s Blu-ray. (Hollywood Reporter via Reuters)

(Photo: Google AdSense blog)