# Programmatic DOOH explained: auctions and deals

> Programmatic DOOH is buying screen time automatically through DSPs and SSPs. How open auction, PMP and PG deals work, how plays are counted, and costs.

Source: https://verse.ad/guides/programmatic-dooh
Publisher: VERSE (verse.ad) · Updated 2026-10-14

Guide

## Programmatic DOOH, explained

Programmatic DOOH is buying digital out-of-home screen time automatically, through software. A buyer’s demand-side platform (DSP) bids for plays that a screen owner offers through a supply-side platform (SSP) or a direct connection, usually over OpenRTB. It runs as an open auction, a private marketplace (PMP) or a programmatic guaranteed deal.

Updated 13 October 2026 · 8 min read

In this guide [How programmatic DOOH works](https://verse.ad/guides/programmatic-dooh#how)[Programmatic vs direct DOOH](https://verse.ad/guides/programmatic-dooh#vs-direct)[Open auction, PMP and programmatic guaranteed](https://verse.ad/guides/programmatic-dooh#ways)[Deal IDs](https://verse.ad/guides/programmatic-dooh#deals)[How plays are counted](https://verse.ad/guides/programmatic-dooh#measurement)[What you need to start](https://verse.ad/guides/programmatic-dooh#start)

### At a glance

- The buyer uses a [DSP](https://verse.ad/glossary/dsp); the seller offers screens through an [SSP](https://verse.ad/glossary/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:

1. The screen has an [ad slot](https://verse.ad/glossary/ad-slot) coming up in its [loop](https://verse.ad/glossary/loop).
2. 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.
3. DSPs decide whether to bid, and how much, based on the buyer’s targeting and budget.
4. The winning ad plays, and the play is logged as [proof of play](https://verse.ad/glossary/play).

Because one play on a shared screen is seen by several people, the bid request carries an impression multiplier. In [OpenRTB](https://verse.ad/glossary/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](https://verse.ad/ads-manager), or from your DSP.

### Open auction, PMP and programmatic guaranteed

|  | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| [Open auction](https://verse.ad/glossary/auction) | Bid on any play. The highest bid above the floor wins the slot. | Reach at the lowest price |
| [PMP](https://verse.ad/glossary/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](https://verse.ad/glossary/programmatic-guaranteed) | Screens and hours reserved in advance at a fixed CPM. Every play is delivered. | Launches and fixed dates |

The [bid floor](https://verse.ad/glossary/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](https://verse.ad/glossary/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](https://verse.ad/programmatic#deals) by venue type, city and time of day, and builds others on request.

Example

A PMP for café screens on weekend mornings with a $5 floor. Your DSP bids $6 on the plays that match your plan and wins the ones where no one bids higher.

### 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

1. A DSP that supports OpenRTB 2.6 for digital out-of-home. Nothing custom to build.
2. Creatives: video up to 20 seconds or a still, 1080 × 1920 and 1920 × 1080, up to 15 MB.
3. A deal ID from the [Programmatic page](https://verse.ad/programmatic#deals), or [ask for one](https://verse.ad/contact?topic=sales) 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.

### Questions about programmatic DOOH

All questions →

#### Do I need a DSP to buy programmatic DOOH?

Yes, programmatic buying runs through a DSP. Without one, you can buy the same VERSE screens self-serve in Ads Manager.

#### What is imp.qty?

The OpenRTB field that says how many impressions one play counts for, because one play on a shared screen is seen by several people.

#### What is the difference between PMP and programmatic guaranteed?

A PMP is an invite-only auction with a floor price: you bid, and win only if your bid is highest. Programmatic guaranteed reserves screens and hours in advance at a fixed price, and every play is delivered.

#### Which protocol does VERSE use?

OpenRTB 2.6 with the dooh object and the standard venue taxonomy. [Programmatic on VERSE](https://verse.ad/programmatic)

#### How do I get a deal ID?

Copy one of the ready-made deals on the Programmatic page, or contact us and we build one by venue type, city and hours.

Programmatic

### VERSE screens, in your DSP.

Copy a deal ID, or tell us the venues, cities and hours and we build one.

[Get a deal ID](https://verse.ad/contact?topic=sales)[See the deals](https://verse.ad/programmatic#deals)