EE launches Service Paying Users to Watch Ads in its App

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British mobile network EE has launched a service that enables its EE Up app users to earn money towards their mobile bill by watching ads. The ads appear on the WeAre8 platform in the EE app, which offers customers exclusive experiences, rewards and competitions. The ad platform is powered by mobile content firm, PM Connect.

Users are paid “up to 20p” in their EE Up wallet for watching a brand video and answering between one and three short questions. The range of payments on offer and the basis for paying more or less is not specified, though we have asked. A 5 per cent donation, so 1p for every 20p, is also automatically donated to charity when a customer is paid to watch an ad. After customers sign up via EE Up, they are sent a personal link and can control the frequency and time of day they want to receive brand videos via SMS, email, or both.

Also Read: Using AI for Video Marketing

“We make it easy for brands to tell their stories to people in a way that guarantees attention and builds trust,” said WeAre8 CEO and Founder, Sue Fennessy. “In just two minutes a day, people can now watch brands’ videos, help pay their mobile bills and get a meal to someone in need. I am delighted to be working with PM Connect as its world-class technology links the WeAre8 and EE billing systems, making it easy for millions of people to auto-pay their mobile bills.”

PM Connect has confirmed that the amount that users are paid is based on the length of each video asset. It also said that following the initial launch, customers can expect to receive 2-3 branded videos per week, with the goal of that rising to around 10 per day over the next 12 months. 

So assuming each one pays out 20p, users could earn £2 per day ($2.76), or £60 per month ($82), if they can cope with watching 300 branded videos in a 30-day window. As with all the pay-to-watch-ads schemes that have gone before it, going way back to the days of Blyk, you have to wonder what sort of advertisers are interested in the audience that sort of platform will deliver.