Programmatic Ads Get A Bigger Slice of the Pie

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Tried-and-true direct sales models still dominate the video advertising landscape, but programmatic models continue to gain ground.

FreeWheel, the Comcast-owned digital ad-tech firm, said it observed a 6% year-on-year rise in monetization via programmatic channels in the first quarter of 2017.

Though what’s considered programmatic is still open to interpretation, FreeWheel defines it as the use of automation software or managed services to execute an ad deal, done directly (with a single buyer), through a private auction or via a fully automated open exchange model.

Based on a sample of clients that use FreeWheel’s Audience & Measurement platform, the company also found that 40% of paid ad impressions were delivered as part of a demo-guaranteed campaign.