Viant launches free toolkit to reclaim publisher revenue and transparency

This move signals a strategic shift where DSPs are actively competing for direct publisher relationships to secure high-quality, signal-rich inventory. By eliminating the 'black box' of buy-side evaluation, Viant incentivizes publishers to clean up their supply paths and strengthen identity signals, which directly impacts bidding precision. In a programmatic market increasingly dominated by walled gardens, providing these tools for free helps the open internet bridge the infrastructure gap. This creates a more efficient supply chain where better advertiser outcomes and publisher revenue are finally treated as aligned objectives. Watch for adoption rates among other major DSPs to see if free publisher reporting becomes a standard B2B expectation.

The launch arrives as Viant Technology maintains significant fiscal momentum in 2026. Per company filings in May 2026, Viant reported a 25% year-over-year revenue increase to $89 million for Q1, driven largely by its focus on AI-powered programmatic tools and Connected TV (CTV) growth. This expansion was further bolstered by the April 2026 acquisition of TVision Insights for $40 million, which integrated second-by-second attention measurement into Viant's intelligence layer. These moves position Viant to capitalize on a programmatic display market projected by eMarketer to account for 90% of global display spend by the end of 2026.

Industry-wide, the focus on supply path optimization (SPO) and identity resolution has intensified as programmatic waste was estimated to reach nearly $26.8 billion globally in 2025, according to Basis findings from June 2026. Advertisers are increasingly demanding deterministic identity markers; research from Valpak Intelligence in July 2026 indicates that deterministic household graphs now deliver a 78% average match rate compared to just 34% for probabilistic alternatives. Viant’s emphasis on Household ID and direct access reflects a broader 2026 trend where 'curation' has moved from an optional tactic to a default buying layer intended to reduce auction duplication and signal noise.

Competitive pressure also remains high as rivals like The Trade Desk continue to expand their reach. According to Digiday reporting from April 2026, Viant has been aggressively pitching its transparency credentials to media buyers following high-profile industry shifts in agency-DSP relationships. While Viant remains a fraction of the size of market leaders, analysts from DA Davidson raised their price target on the stock to $16.50 in mid-2026, citing its successful integration of AI decisioning and consistent gains in the premium CTV sector.