Ep 9: Programmatic Advertising Benchmarks: DSP Trends, CTV Growth, and What’s Changing in 2026

Kelly and Sean break down Guideline’s new quarterly programmatic benchmark report, explain how DSPs fit into the media buying ecosystem, and share the latest trends in programmatic, CTV, and streaming.Programmatic advertising plays a growing role in digital media buying, but it is still one of the more misunderstood parts of the industry. In this episode, Kelly and Sean use Guideline’s newly announced quarterly programmatic benchmark report as a starting point for a practical discussion on what programmatic actually is, how DSPs work, and what the latest benchmark data suggests about the market.They begin by defining programmatic at a high level: automated buying and selling of digital media, often built around audience targeting, pricing efficiency, and near real-time optimization. From there, Sean explains why this episode focuses specifically on DSPs, or demand-side platforms, which are the tools buyers use to purchase programmatic inventory.The conversation then turns to the benchmark findings. Sean shares that programmatic saw very strong growth through 2024, though the pace slowed through 2025 as the market matured and economic pressure weighed on ad spend. They discuss how much of that activity is tied to streaming and connected TV, and why the growth pattern looks different now that most large streaming platforms already offer ad-supported products.They also look at category-level movement, with telecom, insurance, and quick-service restaurants increasing programmatic spend, while categories such as alcohol, toys, and games have pulled back. Kelly and Sean then walk through the current split between programmatic and direct buying, why programmatic has remained near 30% of market activity, and why Sean expects that share to move higher in 2026.The episode closes with a closer look at buying methods inside the programmatic ecosystem, including private marketplaces, programmatic guaranteed, and the open marketplace, along with a request for listener feedback on where the programmatic series should go next.Key topics include:What programmatic advertising means in practiceHow DSPs function in digital media buyingWhy Guideline launched a quarterly programmatic benchmark reportGrowth trends in programmatic across 2024 and 2025The link between programmatic growth and streaming / CTVWhich advertiser categories are increasing or reducing spendThe current split between programmatic and direct buyingPrivate marketplaces, programmatic guaranteed, and open marketplace buyingChapters00:00 Spotify reviews and why the episode topic matters00:50 Guideline’s new programmatic benchmark report02:22 What programmatic advertising means03:48 DSPs and how programmatic buying works06:01 Global programmatic growth trends08:40 Categories gaining and losing spend11:05 Programmatic vs direct buying share12:28 Sean’s 2026 outlook13:07 Private marketplaces, guaranteed deals, and open marketplace16:13 Invitation for listener feedback on the seriesIf you’d like access to the benchmark report or want to suggest a topic for the next part of the programmatic series, reach out to [email protected] you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations on advertising, media strategy, and cultural marketing moments.And if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review helps more people discover the show.