Microsoft, already a sponsor of AMC’s The Walking Dead, has bought the first two six-second ads in the top rated zombie drama.
Microsoft will also be the presenting sponsor of livestreams of the red carpet at a Walking Dead premiere event Sunday (Oct. 22) at The Great Theater in Los Angeles.
Live streams will be available on Facebook Live, Twitter and YouTube. Microsoft will also carry the livestream on its Mixer platform on the Mixer Xbox Chanel.
As it has in the past, Microsoft will sponsor the “next on The Walking Dead” preview at the end of each of the eight episodes in the first half of season 8.
Microsoft’s six-second ads for its Xbox gaming system will appear at the beginning of the second and third episodes of the new season of The Walking Dead. The new season kicks off Sunday.
YouTube and Fox began selling six second ads earlier this year. AMC offered six second ads that will run by themselves between the end of the previous week’s episode and the open of the new episode.
AMC said it was expecting the unique spot to command a price tag close to if not higher than what it gets for 15-second spots.
On premiere night Xbox will also be producing a 30-second spot with footage from the red carpet livestream that will appear as part of a special two-hour episode of Talking Dead following the season 8 premiere.
The live stream will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT Sunday.
