Google Pulls the Plug on Its TV Ads Business

Google is shutting down Google TV Ads, its attempt to create an online marketplace for traditional TV spots.

The idea was Google could make ad buying more efficient and Googley, but buyers, programmers and distributors never embraced the notion. Google sunk 5 years into the project, and eventually boasted that it could reach 42 million households, including agreements with distributors like Verizon and DirecTV. That’s close to half of the pay TV universe, but it’s hard to find evidence that the program really got traction.