About the report
egta’s latest Insight on ad pricing models and strategies explores how pricing is far more than a technical exercise – it is a core strategic lever shaping how multiplatform TV companies can protect revenue, maintain control over trading metrics, and simplify access for ad buyers in an increasingly complex media ecosystem. Drawing on egta’s analysis and ongoing dialogue with its TV members, analysts, and industry stakeholders, the report examines how pricing strategies are evolving in response to market fragmentation, automation, and shifting advertiser expectations, while reaffirming the enduring value of premium TV and video in today’s competitive landscape.
The publication offers both a strategic and practical roadmap for navigating change. It covers the key drivers shaping pricing decisions, the trade-offs between traditional negotiation-based models and emerging programmatic approaches, and the innovations redefining how inventory is packaged and sold. Enriched by contributions from leading industry experts and case studies from egta members across Europe, the report delivers concrete examples and actionable best practices on rebuilding value, aligning commercial strategies with procurement priorities, and leveraging new metrics such as attention, engagement, and proprietary data – positioning multiplatform TV as a quality-driven, future-facing medium capable of delivering both commercial performance and meaningful audience value.
View table of contents
Introduction
Part 1: Strategic drivers and industry context
1.1. Overview of pricing models in a multiplatform TV landscape
1.2. Linear TV
1.2.1. Pricing models of linear TV as we know it: spot- versus Gross Rating Point (GRP)- based models
1.2.2. Currency of linear TV in a digital trading world: CPM-based models
1.3. Addressable TV on Set-top-boxes (STB) and HbbTV
1.3.1. Inventory specificity and buying methods
1.3.2. Shift to programmatic sales
1.4. BVOD and live streaming on CTV apps
1.5. BVOD and live streaming on desktop and mobile devices
1.6. Total video/cross-platform
Case study: ATRESMEDIA PUBLICIDAD (ES)
Case study: SevenOne Media (DE)
Analysis: From gross ratings to net risks: managing risks and control in CPM pricing for multiplatform TV
Case study: Channel 4 (UK)
Chapter 2: Programmatic and automated sales
2.1. Sales environments
2.1.1.Open market place (OMP)
2.1.2. Private Market Places (PMP)
2.2. Auctions
2.2.1. Bidding protocol
a. Real-time bidding (RTB)
b. Header bidding
c. NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) -enabled interactive bidding
2.2.2. Auction mechanisms
a. First-price auctions
b. Second-price auctions
c. Hybrid/sequential set-ups
d. Waterfalling/daisy-chaining
e. Server-side header bidding/unified auctions
f. Prebid/wrappers
g. Simultaneous ascending auctions & Iterative multi-round
2.2.3. Pricing mechanisms and optimization techniques
a. Fixed CPMs (negotiated non-auction rates)
b. Floor prices (static minimum CPM; hard/soft)
c. Dynamic floor pricing (real-time adjustments)
d. Price floor optimization
e. Dynamic pricing (broad term)
f. First‑price vs second‑price clearing (as pricing mechanisms; also – see previous chapter)
g. Bid shading (DSP optimization for first-price)
2.2.4. Other optimization techniques
a. Schedule-based spot optimisation: slot allocation for TV/CTV
b. Aggregation techniques: inventory bundling
c. Dynamic zoning: real-time ad break tweaks and geotargeted allocations
d. Supply path optimization (SPO) (buyer-side RTB pruning)
e. Traffic shaping/throttling (selective RTB requests)
f. Curation layers (filtered RTB marketplaces)
2.3. Other deal types in automated sales (direct and semi-direct deals)
2.3.1. Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
2.3.2. Preferred Deals (PD)
Expert contribution: Maximizing the value of TV inventory through programmatic [Sven Hagemeier, The Trade Desk]
Part 3: Key developments and trends
3.1. Performance-based models
3.2. Advanced indexing
Expert contribution: From traditional to transformational – the future of data-driven linear [Howard Shimmel, datafuelX]
3.3. Hybrid and cross-platform packages
3.4. Use of AI
Case study: Admeira (CH)
3.5. Focus on SMEs
Case study: Publitalia ’80 (IT) / MFE Advertising
3.6. Trading policy evolution
Part 4: Rethinking the future
4.1. Escaping the commodity trap: building quality-driven TV pricing
4.1.1. Rebuilding value inside the trading system. From GRP to Q-GRP, CPM + quality, IP, data, programmatic and value-based selling approaches
Expert contribution: Rebuilding TV’s value in a devalued market [Emanuele Landi, Landi Consulting]
Expert contribution: From price to value. Practical tactics to strengthen pricing strategies in multiplatform TV [Lisa Jäger, Simon Kucher & Partner]
4.1.2. From cost to impact: equipping procurement for TV innovation
Expert contribution: TV’s value and procurement [Nina Chandé, Like No Other]
4.1.3. Attention vs engagement: rethinking TV’s core value. The engagement & fandom layer above CPM and Q-GRP
Expert contribution: From attention to fandom – rethinking monetisation in the engagement era [Doug Shapiro, Boston Consulting Group]
Part 5: Future-proofing ad pricing strategies for multiplatform TV companies. Strategic insights from Ian Whittaker, Liberty Sky Advisors
5.1. The Pricing Paradox
5.2. Has television been structurally mispriced?
5.3. The strategic reset
5.3.1. Theme 1: Speaking the language of the board
5.3.2. Theme 2: Quality vs “all time is equal”
5.3.3. Theme 3: IP, optionality & the SME opportunity
5.4. Final thoughts
5.4.1. Capital allocation perspective
5.5. Closing wrap
Appendix (Glossary)
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