MSNBC.com, Pulse360 team up in ad network deal

MSNBC.com has launched online advertising networks for TodayShow.com and Politics.MSNBC.com through a partnership with Pulse 360 Inc. for its Publisher's Vertical Network (PVN).

The deal addresses the challenges that publishers face in today's market, as they try to find ways to expand beyond their organic growth to keep up with increased competition for marketing dollars. More inventory to sell means a greater share of the advertising spend.

"MSNBC.com is taking a more aggressive stance and leveraging Pulse 360's PVN service to take back control and gain immediate access to more inventory to sell to advertisers," said Mark Josephson, president of Seevast, Pulse 360's parent company.

MSNBC.com's Today Show and politics sections receive the steadiest stream of traffic and overall interest in advertising from a variety of top brands. They were quickly selling out of inventory on these specific pages and wanted to provide advertisers with an opportunity to still be associated with the MSNBC.com brand and its content.

As a result of the partnership, MSNBC.com gains immediate access to more inventory to sell to advertisers.

"MSNBC.com has the relationships and resources to better sell advertising and syndicate content in the same verticals it has built its business on," Josephson added. "For example, the sites that join the MSNBC.com politics network will benefit from MSNBC.com's relationships with advertisers, and also be able to enhance their site with the MSNBC's content."