AOL Media Network is to become the exclusive sales house for websites around The Spectator and sister title The Business, replacing ousted independent ad sales house Unanimis.
Mark Hopkins, group digital director at Press Holdings Media Group, said that AOL demonstrated an understanding of its brands.
The Spectator and The Business both relaunched their online offerings last year and are set to benefit from more investment in 2008.
Hopkins said: “We’re adding a lot of exclusive online-only content and we’re starting to develop much more live interaction.”
He added that The Spectator has trebled its online audience since relaunch last year and now attracts 181,000 unique users a month.
For AOL, the deal marks a significant move by the firm into ad sales territory.
The portal’s biggest UK ad sales deal to date involves selling inventory on virtual teenage site Habbo Hotel.
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