Viant Technology is expanding its Direct Access supply path optimization product beyond open-market CTV buying, allowing advertisers to execute private marketplace and programmatic guaranteed deals through the same direct buying infrastructure. The move addresses a practical gap in CTV programmatic trading, where premium inventory is frequently purchased through negotiated deals rather than open auctions.
Supply path optimization has become an important part of programmatic advertising as buyers look for fewer intermediaries, clearer inventory provenance and greater control over media costs. Viant Technology is now extending that approach to one of the more complicated parts of CTV buying: negotiated programmatic deals.
The company announced an expansion of Direct Access, its CTV-focused supply path optimization product, to support private marketplace (PMP) and programmatic guaranteed transactions alongside open-market purchases. The capability is now available through FreeWheel, Magnite’s SpringServe, Publica and custom open real-time bidding integrations, according to Viant.
Direct Access was originally designed to connect advertisers more directly with premium CTV inventory. Viant says the system provides a fee-free path for both buyers and sellers, with the stated goal of reducing intermediary costs and increasing the share of advertiser spending allocated to working media.
The new deal support matters because open-market auctions represent only one way advertisers purchase connected-TV inventory. Premium publishers and streaming platforms also rely heavily on negotiated arrangements, including PMPs and programmatic guaranteed deals. Bringing those transactions into the same supply-path framework potentially gives buyers a more consistent way to manage different forms of CTV inventory.
Viant says Direct Access now spans publishers representing 94% of programmatic demand, citing Jounce Media. That is a company-reported figure and should be viewed in the context of the methodology and market definition behind the underlying measurement.
The development also reflects the broader maturation of CTV programmatic infrastructure. Buyers increasingly need to balance reach and premium inventory access with supply-chain efficiency, audience addressability and measurement. Viant’s broader Publisher Solutions portfolio combines Direct Access with SupplyIQ, Household ID and IRIS Content ID, linking supply-path information with identity and content signals.
For advertisers and agencies, the practical implication is a potentially simpler buying path across different CTV transaction types. Instead of treating open-market inventory and negotiated deals as entirely separate supply-chain exercises, buyers can use Direct Access for both within Viant’s DSP environment.
Publishers have a different incentive. Direct connections can give media owners another route to advertiser demand while potentially reducing the number of intermediaries between inventory and buyers. Viant’s June announcement said Direct Access accounted for 85% of CTV spend on its platform at that time, although that figure predates the current expansion.
The competitive question is how supply path optimization providers differentiate as CTV buying becomes more sophisticated. Reducing intermediaries is only one consideration; buyers also need inventory quality, deal execution, identity, measurement and transparency. Viant’s strategy is to combine those functions within its buy-side platform rather than treating SPO as a standalone routing product.
For enterprise CTV teams, the expansion therefore represents less a new media format than an infrastructure change. As advertisers shift more television budgets toward streaming, the ability to access premium inventory through transparent and efficient transaction paths is becoming part of the buying architecture itself.
Market Landscape
CTV buying is moving toward a hybrid model in which open-market programmatic auctions coexist with PMPs and programmatic guaranteed deals. That creates a supply-path challenge because advertisers may encounter different intermediaries, fees and transaction mechanisms depending on how inventory is purchased.
Viant’s expansion attempts to standardize that path within its DSP. The company has previously positioned Direct Access as a way to reduce intermediary hops, while its broader Publisher Solutions strategy adds supply-quality, identity and content signals to the buying workflow.
The development comes as CTV becomes a larger component of programmatic advertising. Viant’s announcement cites an eMarketer forecast that U.S. CTV upfront advertising spending will exceed primetime linear-TV upfront spending in 2026.
Strategic Outlook
The next stage of CTV supply path optimization is likely to involve more than eliminating intermediaries. Buyers need consistent access to premium inventory across auctions and deals while maintaining transparency around supply quality, audience signals and measurement.
Viant’s approach puts those requirements inside a buy-side platform. For advertisers, the potential benefit is workflow consolidation; for publishers, direct connections can provide another route to demand. The effectiveness of that model will ultimately depend on inventory coverage, transaction transparency and the quality of the data available throughout the buying process.
Top Insights
- Viant is extending SPO into PMP and programmatic guaranteed CTV deals, addressing advertisers that buy premium streaming inventory through multiple transaction models.
- Direct Access now connects open-market and deal-based CTV buying, potentially reducing fragmentation for agencies managing premium streaming campaigns across publishers.
- FreeWheel, SpringServe, Publica and custom oRTB integrations expand the infrastructure through which Viant says advertisers can access publisher inventory.
- The announcement highlights a broader CTV trend toward supply-chain efficiency, as buyers demand greater transparency across inventory access, transaction costs and quality.
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