• by Philip Rosenstein , October 12, 2016

Real-time bid-management system Wise Data Media analyzed programmatic activity around the first and second presidential debates and found that fill rates and impressions increased during both time periods.

Fill rates and impressions rose substantially during the first debate on Sept. 26, which coincided with a decrease in bid prices. Fill rates on news domains hit 59% during the debate, with a big drop-off to 30% in the hours directly after.

During the month of September, the average bid price on news sites was $1.21. In the last week of the month, however, when the debate occurred, bid prices on those sites decreased significantly, to $0.68.

Available impressions on news sites also steadily rose during the month of September, increasing more than 100% over the four-week period. In the hours directly following the debate, impressions on news sites decreased about 50% on Wise Data's real-time platform.

The second debate, on Oct. 9, also coincided with higher fill rates on news sites. From the beginning of the month, through Oct. 9, there was a 35% increase in fill rates. On the day of the debate, impressions on news sites available through Wise Data’s platform increased 100%.

"We do believe that these findings, along with our other research, substantiates our projections that there will be even more of an increase in fill and impression rates" around Election Day, Nov. 8, stated Tomer Sade, founder & CEO of Wise Data Media.

He anticipates "an overall significant decrease in bid prices.”