Yahoo's SPO Push, Backstage, Gives Marketers Direct Access to Publishers Without the SSP

Yahoo is letting advertisers buy publisher inventory directly from its demand-side platform via a new product called Backstage, the tech company’s answer to the industry movement toward supply-path optimization, Yahoo executives exclusively shared with Adweek.

Advertisers using Backstage, which will be available in the third quarter, will not need a supply-side platform to access publisher inventory, the traditional buying route for the programmatic supply chain.

At launch, Backstage includes over 100 publishers, including A+E Networks, Dotdash Meredith, Raptive, The Arena Group, Vizio and Newsweek, and Yahoo’s owned and operated media properties.