By Anastasiia Lushyna
In digital advertising, keeping an eye on industry changes and trends is a must for all parties involved. The year 2026 has already come, so it is time to get ready and start searching for ways to improve your strategy, whether you are an advertiser, a publisher, or an AdTech provider.
In general, ad trading is getting more and more programmatic. Global programmatic ad spend exceeded 650 billion USD in 2024 and is projected to surpass 1 trillion USD by 2030. Thus, the programmatic industry keeps thriving, but there are numerous factors shaping its evolution. What changes to expect in 2026? Read on to find this out.
How ad trading itself is evolving in 2026
First and foremost, let’s find out what ad trading itself will look like in 2026. The key things to consider are as follows:
Programmatic ad trading becomes even more AI-driven. AI is not just an assistant anymore – we can expect the rise of agentic AI systems and the growing demand for hyper-personalization. Other tasks that AI will be widely used for in 2026 are predictive analytics and creative generation.
The industry keeps adopting a privacy-centric approach, which makes first-party data and contextual targeting even more valuable than before.
Supply path optimization turns from an optional thing to do into a required standard. Open auctions are giving way to private marketplaces, curated deals, and direct deals.
Transparency is becoming a competitive advantage.
The expansion into new environments like CTV, DOOH, and in-game illustrates advertisers’ goal to create an all-encompassing omnichannel strategy.
What is changing for DSPs and advertisers
Now, let’s explore what these changes mean for demand-side platforms (DSPs) and advertisers.
AI becomes a must for campaign management and execution
AI has already become an integral part of programmatic solutions, and DSPs are no exception. However, in 2026, DSPs are expected to start turning into AI-first platforms. Advertisers aim to reduce the amount of manual work and want their tools to be capable of predictive analytics, creative generation, more effective bid adjustment, etc. Therefore, those DSPs that manage to integrate the required features promptly and effectively will be among the leaders in 2026.
In turn, advertisers should remember that leveraging AI for programmatic advertising is turning from a benefit into a must. More and more businesses are integrating such platforms into their strategies, so if you neglect doing this, you may fall behind. At the same time, avoid overrelying on AI. It still requires human guidance and control, especially when it comes to creative generation.
The growing role of the privacy-first approach
Respecting user privacy is a way to remain compliant and build trust. Therefore, it is essential for DSPs to be able to leverage first-party data through clean rooms, utilize universal ID solutions, enhance contextual advertising capabilities, and ensure compliance with international regulations.
If you, as an advertiser, have not switched to first-party data yet, it is time to do so. Besides, implement contextual targeting and build lookalike audiences to reach those users who are likely to get interested in your brand. When choosing a DSP, make sure that it can support your privacy-first strategy.
SPO as a must for strategy efficiency
Advertisers demand cleaner, shorter, and verifiable paths to inventory, so DSPs must support curated deals, direct deals, and private marketplaces. Being equipped with advanced filtering capabilities, powerful fraud detection and prevention tools, and analysis and reporting features is a must as well. Open auctions will still be in use, but safer and more direct paths to inventory will be among advertising priorities in 2026.
Adopting SPO practices is essential for advertisers to maintain a competitive advantage. However, it is crucial to remember that this is a continuous task. You should analyze and adjust supply routes regularly.
Transparency as a competitive edge
Transparency is not only about understanding the supply chains – DSPs must be fully transparent regarding their fees. Advertisers want to understand what they pay for. If a provider does not make this information available, the business may fail pretty quickly.
Advertisers should prioritize transparent DSPs and understand their spending. This is a way to allocate the budget more effectively and avoid hidden fees.
Expansion into new channels
Since marketers want to reach their audiences wherever they are, DSPs should integrate additional environments, such as CTV, DOOH, in-game, and others. Basically, the more options the platform supports, the better – this provides advertisers with greater flexibility.
For advertisers, expanding into new popular channels becomes a critical thing to do. However, this should be done in a data-driven manner. Start small and expand steadily.
What is changing for SSPs and publishers
What about supply-side platforms (SSPs) and publishers? Here are the key things to pay attention to.
AI reshapes yield management
Media owners can (and should) leverage AI for fraud detection, demand prediction, fill rate optimization, and dynamic floor pricing. In 2026, this is not optional anymore – using AI becomes a must to keep the inventory attractive for advertisers and maximize income.
In response to this, SSP providers should equip their solutions with the above-mentioned capabilities to help publishers monetize their inventory with maximum possible efficiency.
First-party data becomes ultimately valuable
Since the industry is getting more and more privacy-focused, collecting first-party data becomes critical for publishers as well. A deep understanding of their website visitors or app users enables media owners to ensure relevant advertising experiences and prove to marketers that they have valuable audiences to reach. That is especially important for negotiating direct deals.
In turn, SSPs must evolve. Instead of being just inventory monetization platforms, they must transform into data activation partners.
The need for clear and short supply paths
Just like DSPs, SSPs should strive for transparency regarding supply paths and eliminate unnecessary resellers. Since SPO has become a new standard in the industry, taking these steps is essential for providers to survive.
As for publishers, they should keep in mind the growing demand for private marketplaces and other SPO-friendly options. Being open to direct negotiations and building curated packages can be a great help in terms of effective inventory monetization.
Transparency becomes a differentiator
It is also essential for SSPs to be equipped with advanced reporting functionalities and be transparent regarding their fees – complete transparency becomes a significant competitive advantage in 2026.
In turn, transparent and verified publishers will become the number one priority among advertisers. As a media owner, you should have nothing to hide – this will help you build trust, as well as long-term relationships with marketers.
New environments expand monetization opportunities
For publishers, the emerging channels introduce new monetization opportunities. Therefore, when possible, media owners should consider diversifying their inventory to reach new demand sources and drive additional revenue.
As for SSP providers, they should make sure their solutions support new formats and environments. Effective measurement and fraud protection capabilities also play a crucial role.
To sum up
Artificial intelligence, supply path optimization, privacy-centric approach, and other factors we mentioned in this guide are not something fully new to the industry. These are not unexpected changes – that is an evolution instead.
Obviously, adapting to all these trends may take some time, especially for AdTech providers – building new features can be a time-consuming process. Therefore, to prioritize the upgrades, consider the needs of your clients. This will help you understand what should be implemented in the first place.
That is exactly what we do at Attekmi. Contact us to discover how our AdTech solutions and services can help your business grow.
