The eBay Media Marketplace — where clients could buy and sell cable TV ad spots — officially closed this week.

The project floundered against lackluster response and industry opposition. Oxygen and TV One were among the few cable channels that agreed to sell time on the market. Buyers included Home Depot and Intel.

Other channels shunned the system, arguing the bidding process would result in lower prices, particularly as online spend erodes the traditional media budget.

eBay maintained that the system would excel at selling remnant inventory or non-premium spots, and it was never intended to replace networks' sales staff. But cable channels were not the only detractors; advertisers were also disinterested in exploring the marketplace.