IAB Tech Lab Updates OpenRTB to Define Live Content More Precisely

IAB Tech Lab Announces OpenRTB Updates for Programmatic Advertising

IAB Tech Lab is rolling out updates to OpenRTB to address the challenge of defining live content in programmatic advertising, with new attributes and refinements to substitution macros now open for public comment through May 28, according to MarTech. These changes aim to clarify live content signals as connected TV (CTV) and real-time inventory continue to grow, adding two optional fields and clarifying an existing one in OpenRTB and AdCOM to allow sellers to describe the 'liveness' of content more structuredly.

New Attributes Enhance Live Content Definition

The updates enable buyers to distinguish between content that occurs at the exact moment of the bid, real-time streams that are not strictly live, and content in its first scheduled broadcast window, as detailed in the source material. These distinctions help buyers prioritize spend, as a live sports moment carries different value compared to a same-day stream or a scheduled premiere, according to MarTech. The lack of standardized signals has previously made it harder to interpret programmatically, and these new fields are designed to remove that ambiguity.

Refinements to Substitution Macros Improve Pricing Clarity

Alongside the content updates, IAB Tech Lab is refining substitution macros in OpenRTB to make it easier to pass information about discounts and net pricing between buyers and sellers. This refinement focuses on how price-related data flows through the bidstream, giving buyers a clearer view of what they are actually paying and how pricing is being adjusted. Combined with the new content signals, these changes aim to reduce friction in transactions, allowing sellers to more accurately represent premium inventory.

Context and Next Steps for the Industry

As widely known in ad tech, programmatic advertising has evolved rapidly with the rise of CTV, making precise definitions essential for inventory valuation; these updates from IAB Tech Lab's Programmatic Supply Chain working group address that need by seeking industry feedback. The public comment period runs through May 28, with opportunities for input on the specs to ensure they meet broader requirements.