Will Move to an Ad-Supported uTorrent Bring in Millions for BitTorrent?

By Karla Robinson
August 17, 2012

Efficient file downloader uTorrent was acquired by BitTorrent Inc. in 2006 and has since become the most widely used BitTorrent application, with more than 125 million regular users worldwide.
In a move that may upset consumers, but provide a big payoff for expansion, BitTorrent has announced uTorrent will soon be ad-supported.
“Until now nearly all revenue came from the toolbar which users can install optionally when uTorrent is first downloaded. However, BitTorrent Inc. sees the need to experiment with other revenue sources with ‘sponsored torrents’ being added for all users in an upcoming release,” TorrentFreak reports.
BitTorrent sees an annual revenue of around $15 to $20 million — plus millions in venture capital — according to some close to the company. The added revenue from advertising could help the company further expand, the post suggests.
With the new approach, users’ IP-addresses will determine geographical locations, but BitTorrent maintains that privacy will be protected while attempting to bring targeted sponsored torrents.
“This new build will display a featured torrent at the top of your torrent list. This featured torrent space will be used to offer a variety of different types of content. We are working towards bringing you offers that are relevant to you,” explains BitTorrent.
The torrents can’t be turned off, but individual ads can be clicked away. The ads will also be used to promote artists and highlight updates.

No Comments Yet