• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, September 23, 2013

Interpublic’s Mediabrands unit has added another big premium publisher -- ESPN -- to its Magna Consortium. ESPN joins five charter big media companies -- A&E Networks, AOL, Cablevision, Clear Channel and Tribune -- in the initiative to utilize data and technology to automate the media-buying process for Interpublic and its clients. The ESPN deal is especially noteworthy for the real-time nature of its content and the potential to utilize technology to tap into it.

“Given the dynamic nature of live sports programming, these new models have the potential to increase our efficiency and campaign effectiveness across all platforms,” stated Eric Johnson, executive vice president of multimedia sales at ESPN. “Ultimately this will allow our teams to spend less time on nominal tasks and more time on creativity and activation, thereby further enhancing our premium sales proposition and client service.”