Google AdExchange Tops CTV Seller Trust Index as Arbitrage Drops to Record Low

Event summary

  • Pixalate's Q1 2026 CTV Seller Trust Index 2.0 shows 4.1% of CTV inventory was resold through arbitrage, the lowest of any channel.
  • Google AdExchange ranked as the top 'direct' seller in the US across multiple CTV platforms.
  • Arbitrage share of ranked SSPs fell on every platform compared to Q4 2025, with Apple TV and LG dropping to none.
  • The index ranks over 20 open programmatic CTV ad sellers across major platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, and LG Smart TV.

The big picture

Pixalate's Q1 2026 CTV Seller Trust Index 2.0 highlights a significant drop in arbitrage activity across major CTV platforms, indicating a shift towards more direct and transparent ad selling practices. This trend is crucial for the industry as it aims to reduce ad fraud and improve trust in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. Google AdExchange's top ranking across multiple platforms underscores its dominance in the CTV ad market, setting a benchmark for other sellers to follow.

What we're watching

Market Consolidation
Whether Google AdExchange can maintain its leading position as the top-ranked 'direct' seller in the US CTV market.
Arbitrage Trends
The pace at which arbitrage ratios continue to decline across different CTV platforms.
Fraud Prevention
How the reduction in arbitrage impacts the overall trust and transparency in the CTV ad supply chain.