Glossary/Programmatic/Private marketplace (PMP)
What is a PMP (private marketplace) in programmatic advertising?
How private marketplace deals work, how they compare with the open auction and programmatic guaranteed, and how publishers use them to sell audiences at a higher price.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·4 min readA private marketplace (PMP) is an invite-only programmatic auction. The publisher chooses which buyers may bid on selected inventory or audiences, usually with a higher floor price than the open auction.
In programmatic advertising, PMP always means private marketplace. The same letters are used for other things in project management and medicine, which is why search results can be mixed.
How a PMP deal works
The publisher packages inventory
For example a section, a format or an audience such as home buyers or sports fans.
Buyers target the deal ID
Each buyer adds the deal ID to their campaign in their DSP.
The auction runs as usual
When a matching impression comes up, only invited buyers can bid, and the highest bid above the floor wins.
PMP vs open auction vs programmatic guaranteed
| Open auction | Private marketplace | Programmatic guaranteed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can buy | Any buyer | Invited buyers | One buyer |
| Price | Set by the auction | Auction with a floor | Fixed |
| Volume | Not reserved | Not reserved | Reserved |
| Best for | Remaining inventory | Audiences and premium placements | Large, planned campaigns |
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
Why publishers use PMPs
A PMP lets you sell what makes your inventory different. Buyers who need a specific audience get access to it, and you control who buys and at what minimum price. It also gives buyers a reason to come back to you directly instead of buying the same readers cheaply in the open auction.
How to get more out of PMP deals
Name your audiences in the language buyers use, make sure the same audiences reach every SSP you work with, and review deal performance with buyers every month. Audience data is what turns an ordinary PMP into one buyers pay more for.
CPM uplift at Stampen Media after activating first-party audiences with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
Private marketplace: an invite-only programmatic auction run by a publisher or its SSP.
The code that identifies a specific deal. Buyers add it to their DSP campaign so their bids reach that PMP.
Usually yes, because the inventory is selected and the floor is higher. In return buyers get the audience or placement they asked for.
A PMP is an auction among several invited buyers. A preferred deal gives one buyer first look at a fixed price, without reserved volume.
Related terms
The code that ties a buyer to a specific programmatic deal.
The lowest price a publisher accepts for an impression.
A fixed-price, reserved deal bought through programmatic.
The software advertisers use to buy impressions.
Packaging inventory and data into deals for buyers.
A fixed-price deal without guaranteed volume.
Samhub audiences let you set higher floors and win more data deals, in every channel you sell.
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