Karolina BendrykThe open auction model continues to fall short of the needs of both SSP operators and publishers. Publishers seek yield stability and predictability; instead, they face CPM volatility, bid fragmentation, and inconsistent demand. For SSPs, this volatility undermines scalability and weakens platform value.
One of the most promising solutions? Curated deals.
When appropriately structured and curated, deals offer substantial advantages across the ecosystem, providing value not only to publishers but also to demand partners and the platforms that facilitate them. But what defines a curated deal that actually works?
There’s a common misconception that curated deals are simply enhanced PMPs with fixed pricing. In reality, pricing is just one piece of a much broader strategy. High-performing curated deals depend on thoughtful inventory segmentation, clean signal orchestration, and operational precision.
What makes a deal “properly configured”?
Curated deals transcend conventional PMP logic. They are the output of traffic curation — the process of filtering, packaging, and presenting inventory that aligns with precise buyer objectives, whether audience-specific, context-driven, viewability-based, or performance-driven. Their effectiveness depends on how well the SSP manages inventory quality, targeting parameters, and data controls. The ability to configure curated packages based on real buyer intent is what separates average SSPs from future-proof ones.
To build curated deals that scale, SSPs must be equipped with infrastructure that allows them to:
Define custom data sharing parameters per deal
Control signal exposure for inventory (e.g., user data, content metadata, context)
Implement supply segmentation through domain/app lists and traffic rules
Monitor performance metrics in real time to iterate and refine
This level of control and transparency is being integrated into TeqBlaze’s white-label SSP+ad exchange. Our goal is to provide clients with full autonomy to construct, manage, and optimize curated deal environments under their own brand and strategy.
Currently available for early testing through select partnerships, the feature will soon become widely available. You can join the waitlist today to gain early access.
Why it works—for publishers and the platforms behind them
Curated deals enhance the perceived and actual value of inventory. By eliminating irrelevant traffic and sharpening targeting, SSPs create media products that meet buyer expectations more precisely. This results in higher win rates, elevated CPMs, and stronger buyer loyalty.
For publishers, curated deals enable a shift from passive participation in open auctions to strategic allocation of impressions. When deals are packaged around quality, context, or audience alignment, publishers regain control over monetization outcomes.
Moreover, when SSPs offer deal-level analytics, publishers can measure and adjust traffic allocation in a more informed way — a critical motivator for long-term adoption.
The risks of poor implementation
Like any advanced feature, curated deals are only as effective as their implementation. Performance suffers when inventory is poorly defined, targeting signals are unclear, or pricing is not aligned with value.
That’s why it’s essential for platforms to enforce:
Signal hygiene and validation
Logical consistency in targeting parameters
Transparent pricing logic and thresholds
Real-time visibility into delivery and spend metrics
To support this, TeqBlaze is rolling out TeqMate AI, our proprietary assistant built to assist AdOps teams in detecting and correcting errors across deal configurations — from invalid bid request attributes to mismatched filters.
Key challenges to consider:
Scalability. Each buyer operates under unique constraints. Curated deals must be adaptable across verticals and media plans — this demands scalable logic and operational agility.
Buyer concentration risk. Overreliance on a few high-spending buyers can create business fragility. SSPs should strike a balance between curated deal growth and demand diversification.
Transparency gaps. If publishers lack clarity on what a deal includes or how it performs, trust erodes. Platforms must provide clear insights into deal health, targeting parameters, and outcomes.
So, are curated deals worth it?
When built on real buyer intent, aligned with clean signals, and supported by transparent infrastructure, the answer is a resounding yes. But they offer more than just big numbers in reports. They provide a smarter way to connect supply with demand, which in turn reflects on the quality of the platform itself.
For SSPs, enabling curated logic is a step toward platform maturity. It shows that your system is built not just for transactions, but for sustainable, performance-driven relationships on both sides of the equation.
At TeqBlaze, we’ve been working closely with partners to test and refine curated deal capabilities in real environments. While the feature is currently available through select configurations, the outcomes so far reinforce what we already know: when done right, curated deals deliver.
Want to explore how curated deal logic could work in your SSP? Let’s talk.
