It’s official – Yahoo is shutting down its supply-side platform (SSP).
Yahoo notified its partnering publishers and monetization companies that it is shuttering its SSP and native ad platform Gemini on April 30, 2023.
In doing so, it will be laying off 20% of its total workforce, amounting to more than 1,600 people.
But what does this mean for publishers and why is Yahoo doing this? Let’s dive in.
What Is an SSP?
A supply-side platform (SSP) is a programmatic advertising platform that helps publishers streamline their programmatic ad sales.
SSPs automate the process of selling, managing, and optimizing ad inventory, enabling publishers to sell ad space to multiple advertisers through real-time auctions.
Prior to SSPs, publishers had to manually manage and sell ad space, a time-consuming and inefficient process. By leveraging SSPs, publishers can sell ad space on a larger scale to a wider range of premium advertisers.
Why is Yahoo Doing This?
Yahoo’s decision to shut down its SSP is part of the company’s broader strategy to streamline its business and refocus its ad tech operations on its demand-side platform (DSP).
Yahoo has been undergoing a significant restructuring and cost-cutting effort in recent years, and the closure of the SSP is part of this plan.
Yahoo is also shuttering its native ad platform Gemini and will instead utilize its recent agreement with Taboola to sell native ads.
What Does This Mean for Publishers?
With one less SSP in the market, publishers will have fewer options to choose from, which could result in increased costs and a more limited access to programmatic demand.
The closure of Yahoo’s SSP may also mean that publishers need to explore alternative SSPs to replace it, which could be a time-consuming and challenging process.
Yahoo’s decision to close its SSP is part of an ongoing trend in the programmatic landscape that favors advertisers over publishers.
For publishers, this means that they need to ensure that they are doing everything they can to maximize their ad revenue.
This includes partnering with the best AdX partner and implementing monetization strategies such as hybrid header bidding, smart ad refresh, lazy loading, and increasing competition over their ad space.
Increasing Your Ad Revenue with Adnimation
Partnering with a Google Certified Publishing Partner (GCPP) like Adnimation is a good way to ensure that you are maximizing your ad revenue.
To learn more or for a free consultation, contact us today.
