Every open auction and PMP CTV impression is transacted via a real-time auction that runs in under 200 milliseconds. The mechanics differ from display in important ways: no browser cookies, first-price auctions, server-side header bidding, and pod sequencing constraints. This hub covers how auctions work on CTV and what buyers and publishers in India need to know to operate them effectively.
Real-time bidding in CTV: how RTB works on connected TV
The step-by-step RTB auction sequence, how CTV differs from display RTB (no cookies, first-price, pod constraints), bid request signals, and India-specific buying guidance.
Header bidding in CTV: how server-side prebid works
Why CTV header bidding must be server-side, how prebid server orchestrates simultaneous SSP calls, unified auction vs waterfall yield differences, and SpringServe adoption in India.
Frequency capping in CTV: how it works and why it is harder than display
IFA-based frequency control, cross-publisher leakage problems, household vs individual cap accuracy, and practical guidance for India CTV campaign frequency management.
Bid shading in CTV: how it works in India's first-price auctions
How bid shading algorithms reduce effective CPM in first-price CTV auctions, DSP implementation in DV360 and The Trade Desk, and when bid shading helps or hurts delivery on India CTV inventory.
First-price vs second-price auctions in CTV programmatic
Why the industry shifted to first-price, how bid shading works, floor price interaction with shaded bids, and India CTV auction liquidity dynamics including IPL.
Floor pricing in CTV advertising: how publishers set price floors
Hard floors vs soft floors, why CTV floors are 3–5× higher than display, India CPM floor benchmarks, and buyer strategy for navigating floor prices effectively.
Private auctions and PMPs in CTV: how closed programmatic deals work
PMP deal types, how deal IDs work technically, the India PMP landscape by publisher, and a step-by-step setup guide for activating PMP deals.
CTV bid landscape: understanding bid distribution and win rates
How to read bid landscape data, key metrics (bid rate, win rate, clearing price), India CTV bid patterns, and how to use bid landscape insights to optimise campaigns.
Auction timeouts in CTV: why latency matters more on connected TV
SSAI vs CSAI latency budgets, typical timeout windows for India publishers, what happens on timeout, and how India-specific network conditions compress the available window.
Deal IDs in India CTV: how they work and how to fix common failures
How deal IDs work in India CTV programmatic buying — PMP, preferred, and programmatic guaranteed deal IDs, the setup process, and diagnosing the most common deal ID failures in India CTV campaigns.