Direct and Other Deals Explained: What Publishers Need to Know

For publishers, monetization isn’t just about filling impressions; it’s about maximizing revenue while keeping control over your inventory, user experience, and advertiser relationships. Programmatic auctions have made it easy to scale and fill inventory efficiently, bringing global demand, dynamic pricing, and automation to the table. 

But direct deals add another layer of opportunity: premium pricing, guaranteed budgets, and closer ties with trusted advertisers. The key is to understand how direct deals fit alongside open auctions, so you can use each deal type strategically to get the most out of every impression.

Why Direct Deals Matter for Publishers

Direct deals give publishers:

• 📈 Better Revenue: Fixed-rate deals often command higher CPMs than open auctions. 
• 🎯 Brand Safety: Control over which advertisers appear on your site. 
• 🔒 Exclusive Partnerships: Build long-term relationships with premium advertisers. 
• 📊 Predictable Revenue: Programmatic Guaranteed deals lock in budgets and delivery. 

Meanwhile, the open auction continues to deliver scale, efficiency, and competition, making it essential for remnant inventory and maximizing fill rates.

The Programmatic Deal Hierarchy

Think of your inventory strategy as a waterfall, with the highest-value deals at the top and the open auction ensuring no impression goes unsold.

In practice: Publishers often stack these deals, reserving premium inventory for Programmatic Guaranteed and Preferred Deals, inviting trusted buyers to PMPs, and using open auctions for scale and fill.

How Each Deal Type Works

Programmatic Guaranteed (PG): Maximum Predictability

• What it is: Fixed price and guaranteed impression volume. 
• Why publishers use it: Locks in revenue and simplifies forecasting. 
• Use case: Premium homepage takeovers, seasonal campaigns, or high-traffic events. 

Preferred Deals (PD): First Look at Fixed Pricing

• What it is: Advertisers get the first opportunity to buy inventory at a fixed CPM. 
• If they pass: Inventory flows to PMP or open auction. 
• Why publishers use it: Flexibility to test pricing while offering premium access. 

Private Marketplaces (PMPs): Invite-Only Auctions

• What it is: Real-time bidding among a select group of advertisers. 
• Why publishers use it: More control, higher CPMs, and safer ad environments than open auctions. 
• Use case: Selling premium placements to trusted brands. 

Open Auction (RTB): Scale and Efficiency

• What it is: Real-time bidding open to all buyers. 
• Why publishers use it: Maximizes fill rates for remnant inventory. 
• Use case: Ensuring no impression goes unsold. 

CPM Benchmarks: Setting Expectations

While CPMs vary by site quality, audience, and placement, typical benchmarks look like this:

• Mobile display: $4–$5 CPM for banners; $7–$10 for video 
• Desktop display: $10–$20 CPM for premium placements

Programmatic Guaranteed and Preferred Deals often command the highest CPMs because advertisers value exclusivity and predictability.

Making It Work: Tips for Publishers

1. Know Your Inventory: Use data to highlight viewability, audience engagement, and brand safety controls. 
2. Keep Media Kits & Rate Cards Ready: Make it easy for advertisers to understand your offerings. 
3. Monitor Campaign Performance: Ensure pacing, quality, and delivery commitments are met. 
4. Stack Strategically: Reserve top placements for PG and PD; use PMP and open auction for the rest. 

Direct Deals + Open Auction = Maximum Yield

Direct deals bring premium pricing, exclusivity, and guaranteed budgets, but open auctions remain critical for scale, efficiency, and demand diversity.

When layered together, they give publishers a comprehensive monetization strategy that maximizes revenue and control across every impression.

How Adapex Helps Publishers Win

At Adapex, we help publishers:

• Build direct deal pipelines with premium advertisers 
• Optimize CPMs and inventory allocation using real-time data 
• Manage campaign ops across all deal types for maximum yield 
• Leverage open auctions alongside direct deals for full-stack monetization 

The result? Publishers get the highest revenue potential from every impression, without the operational headaches.

The Takeaway

Direct deals aren’t here to replace open auctions. Instead, they give publishers the tools to secure premium pricing and predictable revenue, while programmatic continues to deliver scale and efficiency.

With the right mix publishers can maximize yield, control, and advertiser relationships across their entire ad stack.