PubMatic has launched an AI-powered monetization platform that it says will help publishers regain control of their yield, data and demand, and avoid the walled gardens. 

The new platform, PubMatic for Publishers, is now available to PubMatic's network of nearly 2,000 publishers across CTV, mobile, display, and emerging formats, the company says.

The announcement comes as digital advertising revenue is expected to hit $770 billion in 2025. Yet walled gardens are capturing the majority of digital ad spend, leaving billions in untapped revenue for publishers who can compete for ad budgets on the open internet, PubMatic asserts.

Publishers appear to be ready—they are evolving from passive inventory suppliers to strategic partners with advertisers, offering targeted, transparent advertising solutions, PubMatic adds. 

"The myth of the passive publisher is over," says Rajeev Goel, co-founder and CEO of PubMatic. "Media owners must embrace innovation now more than ever. Publishers are the true value creators of the open internet and our new AI platform helps publishers gain transparency and insights to attract advertisers and control their monetization for sustainable revenue streams from their content.”

PubMatic for Publishers delivers three new capabilities, according to the company:

• PubMatic assistant-powered deal management—Publishers can explore natural language interfaces to streamline deal setup for private marketplace and programmatic guaranteed sales; the user can ask the platform to “set up a programmatic guaranteed deal for premium automotive video,” and the PubMatic tool will automatically configure deal parameters, the company claims. In addition, an analytics capability can flag possible issues. 
• First-party data monetization at scale—Publishers can turn their first-party data into revenue through AI-enhanced integrations, contextual enrichment and activation that exceeds standard SSP functionality, using PubMatic’s Connect; the tool can bring forward audience insights and patterns, enabling publishers to curate and package their own data to help buyers build their campaigns.  
• Transparent, omnichannel demand access beyond walled gardens—Publishers can benefit from real-time analysis of demand, brand suitability and market trends; it also helps identify performance gaps, revenue opportunities and market position versus competitors.   

Please don’t misconstrue any of this as a product endorsement—we're simply reporting on it. We’ll let publishers speak for themselves. 

"In a rapidly evolving landscape, A+E Global Media relies on technology partners like PubMatic to unlock the full value of our premium content experiences and audiences," says Tyler DeNicola, vice president of programmatic revenue and partnerships at A+E Global Media. "The integration of AI-driven tools empower us to optimize yield, drive innovation and maintain transparency across every screen. With PubMatic, we're enhancing audience engagement, diversifying revenue streams and ensuring that our storytelling reaches viewers everywhere, all while giving advertisers the precision and performance they expect in a dynamic, data-driven marketplace."

Another perspective is offered by Australia’s Seven. 

“As Australia's leading broadcaster, Seven understands that the future belongs to publishers who can harness AI to create smarter, more efficient monetisation pathways,” says Jordan King, national digital sales director, Seven. “Programmatic has been an industry that has utilized AI from its inception and PubMatic's AI-first approach mirrors our own commitment to using cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of market disruption and deliver superior outcomes for our advertising partners.”

Media company Infoplaza looks for vendors that act as an extension of its team. 

“PubMatic’s excellent service and innovative technology enable us to make a real impact together in the programmatic landscape,” says Tom Hoencamp, head of advertising for Infoplaza. “Thanks to the OpenWrap solutions for Web and in-app, we benefit from AI-driven floor pricing, detailed performance insights, and an intuitive user experience—all of which help us to monetize our inventory more efficiently and profitably in the Benelux market."