Programmatic On Point: Percentage of Spend Going To Effective Ad Impressions Up Significantly (New Report)

As programmatic advertising spend approaches the $200 billion mark, likely by next year, there’s little remaining doubt that programmatic automation is a world worth every publishers’ time and investment.

And it’s only getting better, as recent Association of National Advertisers numbers have programmatic advertising impressions landing much more effectively.

“Marketers directed 41% of programmatic budgets to effective ad impressions in Q1 2025, up from 36% in the 2023 study,” says the ANA press release, which also found that spend on clickbait-y Made For Advertising (MFA) inventory dropped from 15% to 0.4% in that same time period.

Findings weren’t all rosy, however, as ANA estimated more than $21 billion in “unrealized global media value” from spending that goes toward impressions that don’t meet their standard quality metrics.

“This latest benchmark report shows progress in identifying inefficiencies, but there remains significant room for improvement,” says ANA CEO Bob Liodice. “Implementing the ANA’s recommendations — such as reducing the number of supply path partners and tightening domain lists — can substantially enhance these outcomes.”