AI-Powered Media Buying Arrives In Audio, Delivering Double-Digit Efficiency Gain.

If the future of media planning and buying is artificial intelligence, then it has already arrived. Butler/Till, an independent media agency, has completed the first agentic streaming audio and podcast ad campaign with iHeartMedia. It is believed to be the first time premium streaming audio inventory has been purchased through an AI-powered agentic media buying workflow.

"Every major transformation in media begins with a first and we're proud to partner with iHeart on this industry milestone," says Scott Ensign, Chief Strategy Officer at Butler/Till. "Programmatic buying, private marketplaces and connected TV each redefined how media was bought and sold. Agentic media is the next evolution. This campaign demonstrates that AI can execute media buying within human-defined strategy and governance, creating a faster, smarter marketplace for advertisers and publishers alike.”

Unlike traditional automation, which follows predefined workflows, agentic media buying enables AI agents to evaluate campaign objectives, identify opportunities and execute approved media buying decisions dynamically within clearly defined business rules. Human expertise remains central to strategy, governance and oversight, while AI improves the speed, efficiency and adaptability of campaign execution.

This first AI-purchased campaign was on behalf of an unnamed U.S. agricultural solutions company. It demonstrated that the benefits of agentic buying extend beyond workflow efficiency to media performance. Butler/Till and iHeart say the agentic buy delivered streaming audio 42% more efficiently than the advertiser’s traditional direct buying benchmark.

In podcasting, 48% of impressions were delivered in high-value, non-skippable mid-roll placements versus. 33% allocated to mid-roll in the traditional plan. The efficiencies were achieved while maintaining access to comparable premium inventory, which the companies say demonstrates the potential for agentic buying to drive greater cost efficiency without sacrificing inventory quality.

By leaning into AI, proponents say agentic workflows have the potential to reduce transaction friction while also maintaining control over premium inventory and pricing. For advertisers, the use of technology gives marketers opportunities to respond more quickly to changing business objectives by optimizing media investments in real time without sacrificing strategic control or brand safety.

“We’re constantly exploring new opportunities for brands to connect with audiences at scale and pioneering new ways to modernize audio advertising, making it more accessible, efficient and effective,” says Lisa Coffey, Chief Business Officer at iHeartMedia. “Our collaboration with Butler/Till on this industry-first agentic campaign represents an important step forward in how advertisers access and activate premium audio inventory, demonstrating how AI can help create a more dynamic and efficient marketplace while maintaining the quality, scale and accountability our partners expect from iHeart.”

This first use of agentic media buying came via a streaming audio and podcast campaign. iHeartMedia says it plans to introduce agentic media buying for broadcast radio by the end of the year. Until now, agentic buying has largely been limited to media channels already accessible through programmatic technology. Bringing broadcast radio into this ecosystem will mark a significant milestone, extending the benefits of agentic buying beyond traditional programmatic media.

The effort also builds on iHeartMedia’s recent launch of AudioGraph, a first-of-its-kind capability that brings digital-like targeting, identity-based planning, measurement and attribution to broadcast radio at scale, helping connect radio more seamlessly to the broader digital advertising ecosystem. Together, the company says the innovations are creating new ways for advertisers to buy, optimize and measure audio campaigns with greater precision and efficiency.