EBay Partners with Bid4Spots for Online Radio Auctions
6/6/07 – In a direct challenge to Google’s foray into media advertising sales, EBay is partnering up with Encino-based Bid4Spots to auction radio advertising time. Bid4Spots hosts weekly auctions of remnant terrestrial radio and Internet radio ad time.
Founded in 2005, Bid4Spots claims that more than 2,300 radio stations now participate in its auctions. The companies say the auctions will be available on the EBay Media Marketplace, where EBay has already begun a cable-television advertising sales program.
According to Bid4Spots, the site employs “reverse” auctions that allow radio stations to compete for advertisers’ dollars and bid ad rates down.
The Bid4Spots system and the start of the EBay auctions, which the companies say happens today, is a formidable potential competitor to Google Audio Ads, launched after the company’s purchase of dMarc Broadcasting, which had built a proprietary radio ad sales platform.
Bid4Spots was founded by radio ad veteran Dave Newmark, CEO of Newmark Advertising, also based in Encino.
Bid4Spots – www.bid4spots.com
EBay – www.ebay.com
