What DSPs Want: Key Supply Priorities for Ad Exchanges in 2025

We spoke to leaders in the DSP space to understand what DSPs are looking for when it comes to supply in 2025. Their focuses might vary—from UA to retargeting, working with app  advertisers, different ad formats, and different country coverage.

But despite these differences, their insights clearly have common key themes that consistently came up in our conversations.

1. Flexibility to Accommodate Different Client Needs

When we talk about flexibility, it encompasses a range of capabilities. DSPs like Kayzen emphasized that flexible supply sources supporting diverse placements and creative rendering experiences are essential to meet the needs of their varied demand sources. This kind of adaptability enables DSPs to better tailor campaigns to specific advertiser goals.

Flexibility also means offering self-serve options, particularly for performance-driven campaigns and entertainment-focused apps. These tools provide advertisers with greater control while scaling their campaigns efficiently. For brand advertisers aiming to build awareness, hybrid features that blend automation with customization are highly valued.

The diversity and quality of ad formats are non-negotiable for DSPs. Leaders like RevX emphasized that animated, double end cards, as well as playable end cards, often result in better user engagement and campaign profitability.

For TaurusX, exclusive, high-quality inventory from direct publishers is equally critical. Their focus on scalable formats like video ensures both performance and flexibility to optimize across different geographies, especially Tier 1 markets like the US, Japan, and Korea. LifeStreet also pointed to the importance of animated MRAID and VAST formats because they not only drive higher engagement through dynamic, interactive features, but also scale efficiently across mobile environments.

Why does unique inventory matter? DSPs like RevX explained that having unique inventory prevents traffic cannibalization, making it easier to scale campaigns effectively. This exclusivity ensures that DSPs can meet ROI expectations without oversaturating audiences with repetitive ads.

2. Direct SDK Integration

Gaining direct access to exclusive inventory through SDK integrations is increasingly critical for DSPs. This approach provides:

• Better control and transparency: Kayzen and other DSPs highlighted that SDK integration ensures fraud-free execution and allows DSPs to directly monitor ad performance metrics, such as CTR, CVR, and ROAS.
• Enhanced campaign performance: Features like SKOverlay and StoreKit, when applied automatically, optimize ad delivery and ensure seamless execution across programmatic campaigns.

For DSPs like RevX, SDK integrations also reduce latency, improving the overall efficiency of supply chains and resulting in better campaign outcomes.

3. High-Quality Rendering

Ad exchanges must invest in customizable and scalable creative rendering capabilities. For DSPs like Kayzen, ad formats with easy-exit UX and advanced overlays consistently generate higher CTRs – sometimes exceeding 40%. However, branding advertisers also emphasize that these high CTRs should not compromise ad quality by increasing accidental clicks.

RevX noted that ad formats like playable end cards often drive meaningful in-app actions, which is why they prioritize supply partners with advanced creative capabilities. LifeStreet also emphasized the value of animated HTML and MRAID formats, which are scalable and effective for their campaigns. 

To meet these expectations, ad exchanges need to offer flexible tools for creating, optimizing, and scaling creatives across diverse formats.

4. Supply Path Optimization

DSPs require shorter, more transparent supply chains to maximize campaign efficiency. Direct relationships with publishers ensure:

• Cost control: Reducing intermediaries helps DSPs allocate budgets more effectively, minimizing unnecessary fees.
• Fraud-free traffic: LifeStreet emphasized the importance of exclusive app partnerships to maintain high-quality inventory while reducing the risk of invalid traffic.

Ad exchanges that can provide direct supply paths through SDK integration or private marketplace deals will stand out as preferred partners for DSPs seeking reliable inventory.

5. Scalability and Global Reach

Finally, DSPs are looking for scalable solutions that meet their regional and vertical demands. This includes:

• Expanding global reach: TaurusX and others see markets like the US, Europe, and APAC as critical for growth. Ad exchanges must ensure their supply inventory includes premium apps across these high-demand regions.
• Supporting high QPS: TaurusX highlighted that high QPS performance is crucial for their machine learning models. By ensuring scalability, ad exchanges can help DSPs achieve consistent results even in high-volume campaigns.

Conclusion: Transparency, Flexibility, Scalability

Ad exchanges in 2025 will need to focus on transparency, flexibility, and scalability to win over DSPs. By offering exclusive, high-quality inventory, customizable ad formats, and direct SDK integration, they can address the pain points of transparency, control, and scalability that DSPs have consistently raised.

To succeed, exchanges must continue to innovate while keeping DSPs’ diverse needs in mind – be it for performance campaigns, branding, or regional targeting.