Which agency groups are most active in India CTV programmatic buying?
The largest India CTV programmatic buyers by estimated spend: (1) GroupM (WPP) — Mindshare, Wavemaker, and MediaCom all have dedicated digital video teams that handle CTV. GroupM runs a centralised trading desk (Xaxis) that consolidates CTV buying across clients. GroupM is the largest agency group in India by media spend and a significant CTV buyer on JioHotstar and Sony LIV. (2) Publicis Media — Starcom and Zenith have CTV practices; Publicis’s programmatic arm (Publicis Media Exchange — PMX) handles consolidated CTV trading. (3) IPG Mediabrands — Initiative and Universal McCann; Reprise handles digital performance including CTV attribution. (4) Dentsu — iProspect and Carat; active in CTV for automotive and FMCG clients. Independent trading desks (Resulticks, Affinity Global, Tyroo) handle CTV for mid-market advertisers.
Do India CTV campaigns need to go through an agency trading desk?
No. Advertisers can buy India CTV directly through a DSP (DV360, The Trade Desk, Amazon DSP) as a self-serve or managed-service account, bypassing agency trading desks. Direct DSP access is increasingly common for: (1) Direct-to-consumer brands with in-house programmatic teams (e.g., e-commerce, fintech, edtech companies). (2) Global advertisers whose HQ teams mandate a specific DSP and operate it centrally. (3) Mid-market advertisers who cannot meet agency trading desk minimum spends. However, most large FMCG, BFSI, and auto advertisers in India buy CTV through agency trading desks because their overall media planning (TV, print, digital) is managed through agencies — and CTV buying is integrated into the broader media plan rather than managed as a separate channel.
What is the fee structure for India CTV programmatic buying through a trading desk?
India CTV programmatic fees vary by setup: (1) Agency trading desk (Xaxis, PMX, Amnet) — typically charge a total price (gross CPM inclusive of fees) or a transparent fee (net media cost + percentage trading desk margin, typically 8–15%). Some trading desks operate on a non-disclosed model where the margin is not visible to the advertiser — ask explicitly for transparency before contracting. (2) DSP managed service (DV360, The Trade Desk managed) — typically 15–20% of media spend as a platform and management fee, on top of the CPM paid to publishers. (3) Self-serve DSP — DSP technology fee only (typically 10–15% of media spend for DV360; variable for TTD based on contract). For campaigns above ₹1 crore, negotiate a custom fee structure — standard rate cards are negotiating starting points, not fixed prices.