Next Net, a leader in AI-powered search discoverability and optimization, has announced a strategic partnership with Audacy, one of the largest audio and digital media companies in the United States. Together, the companies are launching NextNet AI – AI Search Discoverability Optimization, a new solution designed to help local and regional businesses maintain visibility as search behavior rapidly shifts toward AI-driven discovery experiences.
As the usage of agentic search, AI assistants, and recommendation systems continues to grow in the pursuit of products and services, the effectiveness of SEO and media advertising appears to be inadequate. Whereas the bigger corporations can easily adjust to the evolving nature of the new technology, the small businesses are faced with the challenge of remaining visible in the new search environments.
This partnership delivers enterprise-grade AI discoverability capabilities to small and mid-sized businesses that have historically been excluded from emerging discovery channels due to cost, complexity, and technical barriers. Leveraging Audacy’s nationwide network of more than 550 media and marketing consultants and its deep local market relationships, the new offering will be integrated into Audacy’s digital and media solutions. This approach makes advanced AI visibility practical, scalable, and accessible for local advertisers, with the potential to create meaningful impact for businesses across markets nationwide.
“This partnership is about leveling the playing field at a moment of massive transition,” said Mark Mansfield, SVP, Head of Partnerships & Strategic Growth at Next Net. “Audacy brings unmatched local reach and trusted market relationships, while Next Net brings the AI discoverability infrastructure required for the next era of search. Together, we’re protecting local businesses from obscurity and unlocking capabilities that were previously reserved for the largest, best-resourced brands.”
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“Local advertisers can be overwhelmed by the pace of change in digital marketing and discovery,” said Jenny Sutton, SVP of Digital at Audacy. “By partnering with Next Net, we’re giving our clients a future-ready solution that integrates AI discoverability directly into the media and marketing strategies they already know and trust, without requiring technical resources or additional burden on the business owner.”
Unlike point solutions that attempt to adapt legacy SEO tactics for AI environments, NextNet AI is purpose-built for the architectural realities of large language models and agentic systems. The platform optimizes websites and digital assets at the domain level, restructuring content into formats that are natively consumable by LLMs. This approach reduces processing costs while improving visibility across traditional search, AI-powered recommendations, local discovery, content distribution, and digital PR channels.
Next Net’s platform is powered by NVIDIA technologies, enabling the scale and processing efficiency required to deliver AI discoverability at a level that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive. While NVIDIA is not a direct partner to Audacy in this initiative, its technology plays a critical role in supporting Next Net’s AI infrastructure.
The launch reflects a broader evolution within the media industry, as media companies expand beyond distribution to provide the intelligence and infrastructure advertisers need to stay visible in a landscape increasingly shaped by answers, agents, and automated actions rather than links.
For Audacy, the partnership builds on continued momentum in forming strategic alliances that expand advertiser value. Recent collaborations include partnerships with iHeartMedia and TuneIn to broaden content distribution, as well as an agreement with MOGL to modernize sports marketing through athlete-influencer integrations. Audacy has also introduced a Local Marketing Playbook, offering practical guidance, clear strategies, and actionable insights to help local businesses navigate today’s complex digital marketing environment.
Next Net cautions that many competitors are underestimating the scale of change underway by treating AI discoverability as an incremental evolution of SEO rather than a fundamental structural shift.
“This evolution is exponential,” Mansfield added. “Businesses that bet on short-term fixes risk falling behind quickly. Our approach is built for where discovery is going, not where it’s been.”
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