Conspiracy or understandable anxiety?
In a brief exchange on X today, @BradAT posted:
“I have anecdotal evidence that TTD is putting all their demand through OpenAds for Pubs who are using it resulting in a decrease in both demand and eCPM from other SSPs.
While strategically this is probably the right move, it’s no less huge information for the rest industry.”
TTD’s Mike “Sincera” O’Sullivan was quick to correct the record, describing the claim as “categorically untrue.”
“Brad this is categorically not true. OpenAds is still in alpha. I assume you mean OpenPath?
You could just ask.”
Brad replied with:
“Appreciate you setting the record, Mike. As I said, it was anecdotal based on some Publisher feedback on OA specifically. So you’re saying that TTD will continue to send demand across all paths even where OA is available?”
O’Sullivan replied:
“Yes — provided it’s not duplicated or misrepresented.”
Why This Matters:
The exchange highlights ongoing tension — and confusion — around The Trade Desk’s evolving supply strategy, particularly as it builds out OpenPath (its direct-to-publisher supply integration) and experiments with OpenAds, a newer offering still in alpha testing.
For publishers and SSPs, even the perception that TTD might prioritize its own pipes raises competitive and transparency concerns. For TTD, it underscores the delicate balance between improving efficiency and maintaining industry trust.
OpenPath, launched in early 2022, was TTD’s bid to streamline the ad supply chain by enabling direct integrations with publishers. The move was positioned as a way to eliminate inefficiencies and “tech tax” while maintaining transparency for buyers. However, its introduction sparked ongoing debate — some praised the simplification and fee reduction, while others warned it could tilt power toward TTD and away from SSPs.
OpenAds, TTD’s new (basically) auction wrapper built on open-source Prebid code, is designed to improve transparency and integrity in programmatic auctions. It reintroduces universal Transaction IDs (TIDs) to prevent auction duplication — a feature removed in recent Prebid updates — and includes open-source logic, code attestations, and audit tools to help advertisers and publishers verify how bids are processed.
The overlap between the two — and their potential impact on open-web competition — explains why even anecdotal claims like Brad’s gain traction so quickly.
Experts React:
Here’s the full exchange on X:
Our Take:
This moment — short as it was — speaks volumes about the scrutiny facing every move TTD makes in supply path optimization/SPO. The company’s clear focus going forward is on driving efficiency and transparency. Basically, better SPO, better revenue, and better results. We’ll see how it plays out.
