At a glance
- The buyer uses a DSP; the seller offers screens through an SSP or a direct connection.
- Three ways to buy: open auction, PMP (a deal ID with a floor) and programmatic guaranteed.
- One play on a shared screen counts for several impressions, carried in `imp.qty`.
- VERSE screens are buyable over OpenRTB 2.6 with curated deal IDs.
How programmatic DOOH works
Programmatic DOOH uses the same machinery as online display advertising, adapted to screens in the real world. For each upcoming play:
- The screen has an ad slot coming up in its loop.
- The seller sends a bid request describing the screen: the venue, its type and location, the slot length and how many impressions one play is worth.
- DSPs decide whether to bid, and how much, based on the buyer’s targeting and budget.
- The winning ad plays, and the play is logged as proof of play.
Because one play on a shared screen is seen by several people, the bid request carries an impression multiplier. In OpenRTB 2.6 that is the `imp.qty` field, and the `dooh` object names the venue and its type.
Programmatic vs direct DOOH
| Direct or self-serve | Programmatic | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you buy | The screen owner’s platform | Your own DSP |
| Best for | Local and brand-led campaigns | Trading desks running DOOH next to other channels |
| Targeting | Areas, kinds of place, hours, weather | What the DSP supports, plus the deal’s screens |
| Price | A CPM fixed at booking | Your bid, above the floor |
| Reporting | In the owner’s dashboard | In your DSP, plus the owner’s proof of play |
On VERSE both routes reach the same screens. You can book them in Ads Manager, or from your DSP.
Open auction, PMP and programmatic guaranteed
| How it works | Best for | |
|---|---|---|
| Open auction | Bid on any play. The highest bid above the floor wins the slot. | Reach at the lowest price |
| PMP | A deal ID for a chosen set of screens, with a floor price. Only buyers with the ID can bid. | A specific audience, such as gyms in the morning |
| Programmatic guaranteed | Screens and hours reserved in advance at a fixed CPM. Every play is delivered. | Launches and fixed dates |
The bid floor is the lowest price the seller accepts. In a PMP, the floor travels with the deal ID in `imp.pmp`.
Deal IDs
A deal ID is a code that links a buyer and a seller to agreed terms: a set of screens, a floor or fixed price, and dates. You paste it into your DSP, and only bids carrying it can buy those plays.
VERSE publishes ready-made deals by venue type, city and time of day, and builds others on request.
How plays are counted
Programmatic DOOH is measured the same way as direct DOOH, and the numbers reach your DSP as well as the seller’s reports:
- Every play logged by the VERSE TV app on the screen, even offline.
- Impressions per play from our audience model for that venue, hour and screen, sent as `imp.qty`.
- Audits: unannounced visits confirm the ad is on, visible and playing.
- Brand safety: venues choose categories and block brands, and every creative is approved before its first play.
What you need to start
- A DSP that supports OpenRTB 2.6 for digital out-of-home. Nothing custom to build.
- Creatives: video up to 20 seconds or a still, 1080 × 1920 and 1920 × 1080, up to 15 MB.
- A deal ID from the Programmatic page, or ask for one built around your plan.
Prefer not to use a DSP? Ads Manager’s Pro mode offers auction, fixed-price and deal buying on the same screens, with the same reports.
