Glossary A–ZLetter R
Real-time bidding (RTB)
Real-time bidding is a process in which a single ad slot is awarded to the highest bidder in an automated auction within fractions of a second.
The supply-side platform sends a request, and several demand-side platforms submit bids. The highest bid above the floor price wins.
Online, the auction takes place while a page is loading. With screens, the slot is often auctioned a little in advance, because the player has to download the creative before it can run. A bid then applies not to a single person but to an ad play that reaches an estimated number of people.
Operators should be aware that real-time bidding is technically demanding in digital out-of-home: creatives must arrive and be reviewed in time, and the loop must not be left empty if no bid comes in. Creative review and category exclusions apply in the auction too. Not all automated trading is real-time bidding; fixed deals use the same technology without an open auction.