What Is a Private Marketplace (PMP) in Advertising?

A private marketplace (PMP) is an invite-only digital advertising auction where premium publishers make their ad inventory available to select advertisers. Unlike the open exchange, where anyone can bid, PMPs offer greater control, transparency, and brand safety. They allow advertisers to buy high-quality impressions in brand-safe environments, often at more efficient rates than traditional direct buys.

What Is a PMP Deal?

A PMP deal is the agreement between the advertiser (or agency) and the publisher that defines access, pricing, audience targeting, and terms of the private exchange. These deals combine the automation of programmatic buying with the control of direct media relationships, giving marketers confidence in where their ads appear. For brands managing meaningful spend across CTV, display, and audio, PMPs are a way to pair sophisticated data-driven targeting with premium content placements.

Examples of Private Marketplaces

• A news publisher offering exclusive inventory to financial brands for premium placements alongside trusted journalism.

• A streaming platform reserves CTV ad slots for select advertisers before releasing them to the open exchange.

• An agency curating PMPs around specific themes (like lifestyle, health, or technology) to simplify access to high-quality impressions at scale.

Why It Matters

Private marketplaces enable performance-focused advertisers to maintain transparency, control, and efficiency while reaching their target audiences in trusted contexts. For Agility clients, they represent the perfect balance of data sophistication and brand accountability—hallmarks of impactful, purpose-built programmatic campaigns.