The Trade Desk launches OpenPath

Today, the Trade Desk announced the launch of OpenPath, which allows publishers the ability to integrate directly with their DSP, gaining direct access to premium publishers as an alternative to Google Open Bidding.

The Trade Desk will turn off Google Open Bidding on its platform, said CEO Jeff Green in a company statement. The Trade Desk will also remain “committed to serving only advertisers.”

Publishers who have signed onto OpenPath include Reuters, The Washington Post, Conde Nast, Hearst Magazines, Hearst Newspapers, Tribune Publishing, CafeMedia and others.

Read more: Sharing The Trade Desk’s Unified ID will not end adtech disruption.

Why we care. The Trade Desk has taken the lead in many ways in evolving the adtech landscape away from Google. There are competitive reasons for this, and also common sense reasons why The Trade Desk’s clients would want to avoid having a walled garden like Google involved in the planning and execution of their ad campaigns.

Relationships matter, and for The Trade Desk to get out ahead and have a number of premium publishers involved in this OpenPath product means that advertisers who use it don’t have to elect to use a Google alternative at the cost of giving up access to top publishing inventory.