Pixalate Ranks CTV Ad Sellers by Direct Inventory Access, Exposing Arbitrage Risks

Event summary

  • Pixalate released the CTV Seller Trust Index 2.0, ranking 20+ CTV ad sellers on direct inventory access vs. arbitrage in Q4 2025.
  • The index differentiates between arbitraged and authorized publisher-direct inventory across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, and LG.
  • Google AdExchange ranked highest on multiple platforms, while some sellers like Nexxen and MobileFuse LLC were flagged for high arbitrage risk.
  • The index measures Arbitraged Inventory Ratio, ‘DIRECT’ Publisher Penetration, and Authorized-Direct Volume for each seller.
  • Pixalate's tool aims to help buyers reduce the 'tech tax' by identifying resellers in the CTV ad supply chain.

The big picture

Pixalate's CTV Seller Trust Index 2.0 addresses a critical gap in the programmatic advertising ecosystem by providing independent benchmarks for direct inventory access. This tool is particularly relevant as CTV ad spend continues to grow, with buyers increasingly demanding transparency to avoid the inefficiencies of arbitraged inventory. The index could reshape supply path optimization strategies, pushing the industry toward more efficient, direct relationships between buyers and publishers.

What we're watching

Supply Path Optimization
How buyers will leverage the index to shift spend toward direct inventory sellers and reduce reliance on resellers.
Market Transparency
Whether the public availability of the index will pressure other ad tech platforms to improve transparency in their supply chains.
Regulatory Scrutiny
The pace at which regulators may use such indices to assess fairness and competition in digital ad markets.