Key Points

  • Curated deal IDs have become a major force in programmatic advertising, with significant impact on how ad dollars are allocated among publishers
  • The primary effect of curation is share shift – dollars move from publishers under-represented in curated packages to those who are over-represented
  • Premium publishers typically benefit from curation while Made-for-Advertising (MFA) websites are generally excluded
  • Most curated deals do not reduce supply chain fees as many still include resold inventory, contradicting the efficiency narrative
  • Publishers must develop strategies to optimize their representation in curated deals to avoid revenue loss

The Curation Battleground Explained

Programmatic curation has emerged as one of the most significant shifts in digital advertising, creating winners and losers based on who gets packaged into curated deals. According to Jounce Media's May 2025 Supply Path Benchmarking Report, curated deal IDs aren't increasing the total pool of programmatic dollars, but they're dramatically changing how those dollars get distributed.

The data shows a striking reality: when marketers move budgets from open auction to curated deals, that money shifts from publishers under-represented in curation to those who are over-represented. This isn't just a minor adjustment – it's a fundamental redistribution of ad revenue across the ecosystem.

Related: How Independent Publishers Can Win in the Curation Era

Understanding the Curation Representation Game

Curation representation refers to how frequently a publisher appears in curated deal packages compared to their presence in the open auction. Jounce's analysis measured this by comparing a publisher's share of curated bid requests versus their share of open auction requests.

Publishers fall into three main categories:

  • Over-represented: Publishers who appear more frequently in curated deals than their open auction presence would suggest
  • Under-represented: Publishers who appear less frequently in curated deals than in open auctions
  • Opted-out: Publishers like Condé Nast and Disney who have actively chosen to avoid curated deals entirely

The report shows quality publishers generally benefit from curation, with premium bellwether publishers as a group being 32% over-represented in free curation and 11% over-represented in paid curation packages. Meanwhile, MFA (Made-for-Advertising) publishers typically see the opposite effect, being significantly under-represented in curated deals.

This creates a clear winner-takes-more dynamic where premium inventory gets preferential treatment in the curation economy.

The Supply Chain Fee Myth

Perhaps the most eye-opening finding challenges the common narrative that curated deals reduce supply chain complexity and fees. The data tells a different story.

Jounce's analysis shows curated deals have virtually identical rates of reselling compared to open auction inventory. Across the top 10 web exchanges, mobile app exchanges, and CTV exchanges, the presence of rebroadcasting supply chains (the inefficient form of reselling) is consistent whether you're looking at open auction, free curation, or paid curation.

This contradicts the efficiency argument many vendors use to justify curation fees. As the report bluntly states: "It is very hard to explain the presence of reselling in curated deals as anything other than lazy packaging."

The conclusion is sobering: "$1 invested in a curated deal is worth no more or less to publishers than $1 invested in the open auction" when it comes to supply chain efficiency.

How Major Publishers Are Responding

The report highlights fascinating differences in how major publishers approach curation:

  • Condé Nast has actively instructed exchange partners not to include their inventory in curated deals, resulting in significant under-representation in both free and paid curation
  • Disney has taken a similar stance, particularly in CTV, focusing exclusively on direct sold PMPs and PGs
  • Premium news publishers like The New York Times show strong representation in direct trading relationships but varying approaches to curation
  • Samsung TV Plus is heavily over-represented in CTV curated deals, as are Pluto TV (Paramount) and Tubi (Fox Corporation)

These approaches reveal the strategic choices publishers are making based on their market position and monetization priorities.

Strategies for Publishers: Winning the Curation Game

For publishers wondering how to respond to these trends, the report suggests several key considerations:

  1. Assess your current representation: Understand if you're over or under-represented in curated deals compared to your open auction presence
  2. Make conscious opt-in/opt-out decisions: Major publishers like Condé Nast can afford to opt out because they have robust direct sales channels. Can you?
  3. Focus on supply path clarity: Publishers should work toward maximizing direct supply paths since this remains a long-term industry priority
  4. Develop curation-specific strategies: As the report notes, "achieving over-representation in curated deal IDs will likely become a centerpiece of the typical publisher's go-forward monetization strategy"

The industry appears to be at an inflection point similar to the early days of header bidding, where early adopters of new strategies gained significant advantages over slower competitors.

The Future of Publisher Yield Management

Looking ahead, the report suggests we're entering a new era of publisher yield optimization focused specifically on curation representation. Publishers who crack the code on maximizing their presence in curated deals stand to capture a larger share of programmatic dollars.

Partnering with an experienced monetization platform like Playwire provides a significant advantage in this new landscape. Playwire's direct relationships with major demand sources and curators position publishers to maximize their presence in valuable curated deals. Their expert yield team navigates the complex world of programmatic curation to ensure publishers aren't left out of these increasingly important revenue streams.

For smaller publishers especially, trying to crack the curation code alone can be overwhelming. Playwire's scale across its network creates opportunities for inclusion in premium curated packages that individual publishers might struggle to access on their own. Their yield experts continuously optimize for curation representation, ensuring publishers capture their fair share (or more) of this shifting revenue landscape.

The most forward-thinking publishers will leverage partners who have already invested in the technical solutions and strategic relationships needed to thrive in this new reality.

Time to Adapt or Be Left Behind

Curated deals represent both opportunity and threat for publishers in today's programmatic landscape. The data makes clear that dollars are moving between publishers based on curation representation, not just flowing differently through the supply chain.

For publishers, the choice is clear: develop a strategy for curation representation or watch as competitors capture an increasing share of programmatic budgets. This isn't just another minor evolution in ad tech, but a fundamental reshaping of how programmatic dollars flow through the ecosystem.

Ultimately, as programmatic curation continues to grow, publishers who understand and adapt to this new dynamic will thrive, while those who remain passive may find themselves on the losing end of the industry's latest share shift battle.

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