In a notice to developers on Tuesday, Apple announced availability of new iAd options including pre-roll video and full-screen interstitial banner ads for iOS apps, as well as support for Russia and Switzerland.
Source: Apple
Word of the iAd expansion first came in March, while a developer document posted to Apple's Developer Portal in June (PDF link) outlined integration of pre-roll and full-screen banner ads.
As noted by Apple, the new options are now available for developers and advertisers, opening up new avenues of revenue for so-called "freemium" apps.
Now you can deliver highly engaging ads from leading brands. Optimized for your app, pre-roll video and full-screen interstitial banner ads are now available on iOS.
Full-screen interstitial banners allow a single ad to be displayed as a full page of content either as a static element or a transitional screen sandwiched between two app sections. Due to their prominent placement, interstitials command a higher price than the usual banner-type iAds seen at the top or bottom of ad-supported apps.
Pre-roll video spots also garner higher ad rates than header/footer and MREC (medium rectangle) banners. With Apple's version, video ads automatically appear for users in 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios and come in 15, 30 or 60-second blocks.
In addition to the ad buffs, Apple also announced iAd availability in Russia and Switzerland and in doing so expanded the iAd App Network to a total of 16 regions.