"This may be an indicator that the online ad sector got just enough of a boost from holiday advertising to keep ad rates steady," according to PubMatic's fourth-quarter report released Wednesday.
But the average CPM of 50 cents a year ago has been cut nearly in half. Display ad rates on small, medium and large sites have dropped 52%, 23% and 54%, respectively, from the year-earlier period. Business and finance sites have suffered the biggest drop in the last year, with CPMS declining 61% to 83 cents.
Some publisher categories, however, have managed to make gains despite the downturn. Gaming, technology, sports, entertainment and music sites all saw ad rates climb in 2008.--Mark Walsh