October AdTech Roundup: Key Highlights, Latest Trends!

- DATABEAT INSIGHT SERIES…

Hey DataBeat Community,

As Q4 ramps up, it’s time to dive into the latest programmatic trends, insights, and game-changers that are reshaping the AdTech ecosystem. Welcome to November’s edition of DataBeat Insights Series. Last month, we spotlight major shifts in ads.txt entries, delve into the premium value of curated inventory CPMs, and analyze CPM trends that highlight the rising dominance of video in programmatic advertising.

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October marked one of the strongest months of 2024, with over 13,000 new ads.txt entries recorded. SSPs like Sonobi, Teads, and Nativo have surged into tier-1 by strengthening direct connections—a strategic move that’s reshaping the competitive landscape. Meanwhile, SSPs like Equativ, Pubmatic, and Magnite continue their steady climb with robust net gains. This marks one of the most significant positive net changes of the year, likely driven by the momentum of Q4. 

The increase in ads.txt lines has outpaced recent months. Here are some top SSPs which gained significant new connections.

  • Taboola: One of the largest Native Ads Network has gained around 24K new entries. However, these new entries are not helping them to reach new domains/publishers as we have seen that these new entries are being added on already connected domains, approximately 250 new direct entries were added in more than 100 existing domains.

  • As seen in recent months, there has been a continuous improvement in the number of new direct entries for SSPs like SmartAdServer, Magnite, Pubmatic, Xandr & many more.

Market Shakers Sellers Report
Month-over-Month (MoM)
  • Display CPMs: Dropped by 1.4%

  • Video CPMs: Edged up by 0.4%

  • Overall CPM: Increased by 1%, driven by video’s volume share growth from 13% to 15%.

Year-over-Year (YoY)
  • Display CPMs: Increased by 3%

  • Video CPMs: Dropped by 7.7%

  • Overall CPM: Rose by 5.3%, thanks to video’s growing share, which climbed from 11% to 15%.

Takeaway: The rising importance of video in programmatic advertising is undeniable. With November here, publishers have a golden opportunity to capitalize on peak advertiser demand by optimizing their strategies and maximizing Q4 revenue.

This month, we analyzed CPM differences between curated and non-curated inventory across SSPs. The results spotlight the premium value of curated deals:

  • 25% Higher CPMs: On average, SSPs deliver 25% higher CPMs for curated inventory.

  • Leaders in Curation:

    • Index Exchange, Pubmatic, and Rubicon lead with a 20% share of curated inventory in open auctions and offer at least 25% higher CPMs.

    • Google AdX: With a negligible share (<2%), it still provides an impressive 36% higher CPMs for curated deals.

    • OpenX: At a modest 2.7% share, it still delivers 33% higher CPMs.

    • Appnexus and Sharethrough: Maintain a balanced approach, offering 15% higher CPMs while holding a respectable share of curated inventory.

What This Means: SSPs leveraging curated deals can command significantly higher CPMs while offering value to publishers and advertisers alike.

Each month, we spotlight a standout tool from DataBeat’s innovative suite. This month, the star is IngestionCost-Effective, Agile and Flexible ETL solution for all publishers/Ad networks teams and stakeholders!

DataBeat Ingestion

Efficient and accurate; Ingestion lets your stakeholder store and visualize data in a preferred database of your choice. Tailored for Publishers, it delivers flexibility without compromise.

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The DataBeat Team