• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, September 17, 2023

To hear iHeartMedia tell it, radio advertisers have lacked the ability to conduct real-time bidding. But that may change. 

iHeartMedia hopes to offer real-time bidding for its 860+ radio stations in 160 markets, enabling media buyers to buy audio ads the way they now buy digital.

“We're going to have the capabilities to do real-time bidding and programmatic on the broadcast side,” said Rich Bressler, president and COO of iHeart Media, during the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, according to Radio Insider. 

Bressler did not offer specifics or a timeline. He added: “If you look at broadcasters in general, whether they're video or audio, I don't think anyone else is going to have those capabilities out there."

"The ability, whenever it comes, would include data-infused buying, programmatic trading and attribution,” the report adds. 

The Trade Desk lists iHeart Media as one of its programmatic audio partners.

Audio advertising allows users to integrate their brands into their audiences’ “everyday routines in a distraction-free environment, creating a uniquely personalized ad experience around their interests," the Trade Desk says.