HuffingtonPost.com’s deal with Interactive Corp, where IAC was selling all the ad inventory on HuffPo, is over after only about eight months in operation, paidContent.org has learned. Our sources say that HuffPo was not happy with the CPMs from primarily ad network ads they were getting through IAC sales team, and is looking to build its own sales. HuffPo has had internal ad sales people all along, and late last year it hired away AOL vet Jim Smith, and he joined as chief revenue officer.
This does not affect the 23/6 comedy site joint venture that the two are working on together.
This comes as IACI recently appointed Peter Horan as the new CEO of IAC Media and Advertising, overseeing Ask.com, Citysearch, consumer applications and portals, and the ad sales group.