"It looks like networks may have some new, unexpected inventory to sell: their Twitter feeds. The Associated Press and Samsung appear to have established a template this week, where a network could place ads atop their own pages as well as feeds for individual shows, which would seem to be more coveted by advertisers."

So writes our good friend David Goetzl at Mediapost.

Goetzl adds, "The AP has sold the consumer electronics manufacturer sponsored tweets on its Twitter account this week, linked with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where Samsung is looking to promote all kinds of would-be breakthrough hardware.

"The deal reportedly cuts Twitter out of the revenue in that the Samsung dough goes right to the AP, which says the initiative is another attempt to find new ad models in mobile and social media."

Then Goetzl writes: "The AP has more than 1.5 million followers. CNN has more than 7 million. With shows in the entertainment space, NBC’s "The Voice" has more than 1 million and AMC’s "Walking Dead" has about the same. "American Idol" has 670,000.

"… Sponsored tweets aren’t the most dynamic ad opportunities. They appear at the top of a Twitter feed and allow for a logo and some text, but maybe more importantly the chance to offer a link to a more compelling locale."

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/190638/follow-the-ap-and-networks-could-monetize-twitter.html#ixzz2HUn9UETQ