Types of Deals in DV360: Programmatic Guaranteed, PMPs and More

Understanding Deal Types in DV360

Display & Video 360 gives buyers far more than the open exchange. Behind every premium placement, priority impression and negotiated rate sits a deal — a structured agreement between a buyer and a publisher (or supply-side platform) that defines how inventory is accessed, priced and prioritised.

Choosing the right deal type is one of the highest-leverage decisions in a DV360 media plan. It affects the quality of inventory you reach, how much control you have over pricing, and how reliably you can deliver against a campaign goal. This guide breaks down each deal type, when to use it, and how the trade-offs stack up.

If you're still setting up your platform access, our overview of DV360 services explains the different ways teams can buy through the platform.

The Four Core Deal Types

DV360 supports four principal ways of transacting inventory. Three of them are grouped under what's commonly called the Private Marketplace (PMP), and the fourth is the fully open exchange.

1. Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)

Programmatic Guaranteed is the closest thing to a traditional insertion order, executed programmatically. The buyer and publisher agree on a fixed price, a fixed volume and a defined flight, and the inventory is reserved — no auction takes place.

• Price: Fixed and negotiated upfront.
• Auction: None — impressions are committed.
• Priority: Highest. PG deals typically win before auction-based demand.
• Best for: Guaranteed reach on premium placements, homepage takeovers, launch campaigns, and any activity where delivery certainty matters.

Because volume is committed, PG carries delivery obligations on both sides. It's ideal when you need to guarantee impressions against a specific audience or environment, but it offers the least flexibility if plans change mid-flight.

2. Preferred Deals

A Preferred Deal gives a buyer first look at inventory at a fixed price, but without a volume commitment. The publisher exposes impressions to the buyer before sending them to the open auction; the buyer can accept or decline each impression in real time.

• Price: Fixed, negotiated upfront.
• Auction: None, but non-guaranteed — you're not obligated to buy.
• Priority: Above open auction, below Programmatic Guaranteed.
• Best for: Securing priority access to quality inventory while retaining the flexibility to optimise spend.

Preferred Deals suit advertisers who want privileged access to a publisher's supply without locking in guaranteed volume — a good middle ground between certainty and flexibility.

3. Private Auction (Private Marketplace Auction)

A Private Auction is an invitation-only auction where selected buyers compete for a publisher's inventory, often at a floor price rather than a fixed rate. It works like the open exchange but with a curated pool of participants and, frequently, better-quality or exclusive supply.

• Price: Auction-based, with a negotiated floor.
• Auction: Yes — competitive but among invited buyers only.
• Priority: Above open auction.
• Best for: Accessing premium or exclusive inventory while retaining auction-driven pricing efficiency.

Private Auctions are popular for scaling quality reach: you benefit from curation and priority, while competition keeps pricing honest.

4. Open Auction (Open Exchange)

The open auction is the default programmatic marketplace — billions of impressions available to any buyer, priced through real-time bidding.

• Price: Fully auction-based.
• Auction: Yes — open to all eligible buyers.
• Priority: Lowest of the four.
• Best for: Broad reach, prospecting, retargeting at scale, and cost-efficient volume.

The open exchange offers unmatched scale and flexibility but the least control over environment and quality — which is why strong brand safety controls and inventory filters are essential when buying here.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Deal Type	Pricing	Volume Commitment	Priority	Flexibility	Typical Use
Programmatic Guaranteed	Fixed	Yes (guaranteed)	Highest	Low	Reserved premium reach
Preferred Deal	Fixed	No	High	Medium	Priority access, no lock-in
Private Auction	Floor + auction	No	Medium	High	Curated, competitive supply
Open Auction	Auction	No	Lowest	Highest	Scale and efficiency

How Deal Priority Works in DV360

Understanding priority is critical when you run multiple deal types alongside open-auction demand. In general, DV360 evaluates committed and higher-priority demand first:

1. Programmatic Guaranteed deals are honoured first because volume is committed.
2. Preferred Deals get first look at non-guaranteed inventory.
3. Private Auctions compete among invited buyers.
4. Open Auction demand fills the remainder.

This hierarchy means a well-structured mix of deals can protect your access to premium inventory while still letting the open exchange do the heavy lifting for scale.

Deal IDs: The Mechanism Behind Every Deal

Regardless of type, most deals are activated through a Deal ID — a unique identifier shared by the publisher or SSP that maps the negotiated terms into DV360. Once a Deal ID is added to a line item, DV360 knows the price, priority and eligibility rules to apply.

A few practical tips:

• Confirm the deal type associated with each Deal ID before launch — pricing and delivery behaviour differ significantly.
• Keep naming conventions consistent so deals are easy to identify in reporting.
• Monitor deal health early; unfilled PG deals or under-delivering Preferred Deals need quick attention.

Choosing the Right Deal Type

There's no single "best" deal type — the right choice depends on your campaign goal:

• Need guaranteed delivery on premium placements? Use Programmatic Guaranteed.
• Want priority access without volume risk? A Preferred Deal fits.
• Chasing curated quality with pricing efficiency? Private Auction.
• Prioritising scale and cost? Open Auction, backed by strong targeting and safety controls.

Most sophisticated media plans blend all four. A brand campaign might anchor reach with PG deals, layer Preferred Deals for priority context, use Private Auctions for curated scale, and lean on the open exchange for efficient prospecting.

Getting that mix right — and negotiating favourable deal terms — is where experienced buyers add real value. If your team wants hands-on support structuring deals, our DV360 managed services and co-managed services can help you build and optimise the right inventory strategy.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Over-committing to PG without delivery confidence, leading to unmet obligations.
• Ignoring deal priority conflicts when the same inventory is targeted by multiple line items.
• Neglecting reporting hygiene — untracked Deal IDs make performance analysis painful.
• Treating PMPs as a set-and-forget — deals still need optimisation, floor negotiation and pacing checks.

Bringing It Together

Deal types are the levers that let you balance control, quality and efficiency in DV360. Programmatic Guaranteed maximises certainty, Preferred Deals add priority with flexibility, Private Auctions blend curation with competition, and the open auction delivers scale. The strongest media plans use them in concert, matched carefully to each campaign objective.

If you'd like expert help designing a deal strategy that protects premium reach without sacrificing efficiency, talk to our DV360 specialists. We'll help you structure, launch and optimise the right mix for your goals.