June 17, 2026  |  SIGN UP

Ronan Shields
SENIOR REPORTER, AD TECH

As competition among demand-side platforms intensifies, agency media buyers remain focused on practical considerations rather than industry drama. Digiday surveyed 13 buyers across agencies, finding that while AI, platform politics and market-share battles dominate headlines, day-to-day decisions are still driven by pricing, inventory access, targeting capabilities and customer support.

Google’s DV360 remains a staple because of its access to YouTube and broad utility, despite persistent complaints about customer service and transparency. The Trade Desk continues to be regarded as the most capable independent DSP, winning praise for inventory breadth and advanced capabilities, although buyers increasingly view it as expensive and sometimes overly complex. Amazon DSP is gaining traction through its commerce data, streaming partnerships and aggressive pricing, but its user experience still draws criticism.

Among challengers, Yahoo has improved its standing through AI investments, competitive pricing and strong audience tools, earning the highest overall buyer rating. StackAdapt is also gaining attention thanks to its ease of use, customer support and early access to ChatGPT inventory, though buyers remain skeptical about its pricing competitiveness. Overall, buyers continue to prioritize measurable performance over platform narratives.

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