In part two of their programmatic advertising series, Kelly and Sean shift from the demand side to the supply side, breaking down what SSPs are, how they function, and what the latest Q1 data says about where programmatic is heading.

They begin with a practical explanation of the supply-side platform: the technology publishers use to make ad inventory available to buyers in the programmatic marketplace. If DSPs help advertisers buy, SSPs help publishers sell. From there, the conversation moves into one of the more striking shifts in the market — the growing role of programmatic in connected TV.

Sean explains how streaming inventory has moved away from direct sales and toward a more automated buying model. Just a few years ago, only a minority of CTV dollars flowed programmatically. Today, many platforms are approaching a much more balanced split, and some are already heavily programmatic.

Kelly and Sean then zoom out to the broader Q1 picture. They discuss how programmatic growth has moderated from the very high levels seen a year ago, why that slowdown makes sense, and what factors are contributing to it — from market maturity to slower expansion in ad-supported streaming inventory.

The episode also touches on category-level changes, with pharmaceuticals standing out as a notable growth area, and closes with a look at the biggest DSP players globally, including DV360, Trade Desk, and Amazon.

Key topics include:

• What an SSP is and how it works
• The relationship between DSPs and SSPs
• Why CTV inventory is shifting toward programmatic
• The move from direct buying to automated buying in streaming
• What Q1 data says about global programmatic growth
• Why programmatic growth has slowed from prior highs
• Category-level changes, including pharma growth
• Market share shifts among major DSPs
• What to watch for in the rest of the year

Chapters

00:00 Intro and spring break recap
01:25 Why this is part two of the programmatic series
01:55 What an SSP is
04:32 Supply-side trends in programmatic
06:13 Why CTV is moving toward programmatic
08:56 Platform-level shift in streaming inventory
12:06 Q1 programmatic growth trends
14:19 Category changes in Q1
15:11 Major DSP market share shifts
16:16 Outlook for the rest of the year
17:49 Closing thoughts and what’s next

If you’d like access to the benchmark report or want to suggest a topic for the next part of the programmatic series, reach out to press@guideline.ai.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations on advertising, media strategy, and cultural marketing moments.

And if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review helps more people discover the show.