ESPN is to begin selling some ads for its SportsCenter highlights show through a programmatic-style auction.

The 30-second spots will be sold through a web-based auction on the day of broadcast and will be aired on a giant video wall during the event, according to reports.

This will not be the type of programmatic advertising that is seen on the internet, as there will be no audience targeting, and all viewers will see the same ad. However, ESPN will still be forging a new way of selling TV advertising.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Eric Johnson, ESPN’s executive vice president of global multimedia sales, said: “This is a marketplace where money is clearly being moved to programmatic channels. I think this will be in high demand.”

This move makes ESPN one of the first TV networks to embrace the programmatic trend. According to eMarketer, programmatic spend in the US will reach $10bn this year, and is set to double by 2016.

Disney-owned ESPN will begin selling the ads in January, but will also continue to sell ads in a traditional way.