The Agentic Marketplace Is Here. Where Does That Leave DSPs and SSPs?

Why It Matters

Agentic buying promises lower transaction costs and broader inventory access, potentially reshaping the DSP/SSP value proposition for advertisers.

Key Takeaways

• Swivel-Olyzon link via AdCP enables cross‑platform agents
• Pierre Fabre accesses US CTV inventory without traditional DSP fees
• Agentic workflow automates targeting, pricing, and creative adaptation
• DSP/SSP fees may become redundant for CTV buys
• Agencies could see reduced involvement as advertisers go direct

Pulse Analysis

The emergence of an agentic marketplace marks a fundamental shift from the legacy real‑time bidding (RTB) model toward AI‑orchestrated ad transactions. By standardizing communication through AdCP, Swivel’s sell‑side agents and Olyzon’s buy‑side agents can negotiate inventory, set price floors, and execute creative adaptations without human intermediaries. This open‑source layer reduces friction, expands the pool of reachable inventory, and enables advertisers to program complex buying strategies—such as precise ad‑break placements in live sports—directly from a single interface.

For brands like Pierre Fabre, the agentic approach delivers tangible efficiencies. The French dermo‑cosmetics group, constrained by domestic advertising regulations, turned to Olyzon’s CTV platform to reach U.S. consumers with its Avène scar‑repair cream. The AI agents automatically refined audience segments, matched them to high‑performing shows, and adjusted pricing in real time, eliminating the need for multiple agency partners. The result was a streamlined workflow, lower media spend due to the removal of DSP and SSP fees, and access to premium inventory that was previously out of reach for smaller budgets.

Industry analysts see this development as a litmus test for the future of programmatic. While DSPs still dominate display and mobile ecosystems, the CTV vertical—characterized by longer ad formats and higher CPMs—appears ripe for agentic disruption. If the cost and performance advantages scale, advertisers may increasingly bypass traditional demand‑side platforms, forcing DSPs to evolve or specialize. Conversely, the need to integrate with legacy APIs for niche inventory suggests a hybrid future where agents and DSPs coexist, at least until broader adoption standardizes the agentic workflow across all media channels.