Pinterest launched a video player for video content in August 2016. The move allowed users and brands to upload and store clips directly on Pinterest instead of relying only on links that sent viewers to outside video sites.
The launch reflected a broader change in how people used the platform. Pinterest had already experimented with video formats such as Cinematic Pins, but the native player made watching video more seamless inside the Pinterest experience. The company also began applying visual-search technology to video.
This development was separate from Pinterest’s advertising rollout, although the two initiatives arrived close together. On August 17, 2016, Pinterest introduced Promoted Video Pins to a limited group of advertisers in the United States and United Kingdom. The underlying player, however, was for video generally—not podcasts, audio files, or documents.