This article is a WTF explainer, in which we break down media and marketing’s most confusing terms. More from the series →
Streaming advertisers got an early Christmas gift this year when IAB Tech Lab released OpenRTB 2.6. The updated protocol for programmatic advertising included support for “pod bidding.”
Pod bidding allows advertisers to bid on specific ad slots within a multi-ad break, or pod — an option that has been available to traditional TV advertisers for, well, ever. OpenRTB 2.6 also added support for dynamic pods, which allow streaming services to recalculate the number of ads in a pod on the fly in order to accommodate more advertisers without extending the length of an ad break.
For a fuller breakdown of pod bidding, check out the video below.
More in Future of TV
‘A year of loose ends’: Digiday editors share top takeaways from 2025
This year was filled with major developments – from Netflix’s planned WBD deal to Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG to Google’s ultimately cookie reversal – and Digiday editors Sara Jerde and Seb Joseph help to recap the year that was (and wasn’t).
Future of TV Briefing: How the future of TV shaped up in 2025
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks back at the top topics and trends that overtook the TV, streaming and digital video industries in 2025.
Programmatic agency execs speak out on CTV transparency
At the recent Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit, agency executives spoke out — on stage and in behind-closed-door town hall sessions — on how they see transparency in CTV.