Viant Technology (Adelphic DSP): how it works, how it charges, and alternatives

Viant is a mid-sized, listed DSP that has bet on television. In the second quarter of 2026, CTV made up "over 50% of total advertiser spend" on the platform. Over 80% of that CTV spend went through Direct Access, up from just over half in the first quarter (Q2 2026 release, 10 August 2026).

Growth picked up in 2026. Second-quarter revenue rose 34% to $104.3 million, and Viant guided to $107.5 million to $110.5 million for the third quarter (same source). For scale, The Trade Desk reported $715 million for the same quarter (The Trade Desk, 6 August 2026). Viant had about 380 employees in ten US offices at the end of 2025 (10-K, FY2025).

The company's history explains its shape. The Vanderhook brothers founded it in 1999, bought Myspace in 2011 and bought the Adelphic DSP in 2017 (10-K, FY2025). Since then, the filing says, Viant has "materially transformed" from a full-service ad business into a DSP (same source).

Four proprietary pieces sit around the Adelphic bidder, each described in the annual report (10-K, FY2025):

• Household ID combines digital and personal identifiers into one household profile. It powers reach, frequency and conversion measurement in places without cookies, such as CTV and apps. See the household graph glossary entry.
• Direct Access is Viant's supply path optimization programme. It buys straight from CTV publishers and removes resellers from the chain.
• IRIS_ID, from the IRIS.TV purchase, identifies the individual video file an ad runs in. Buyers can target and report by scene-level context and brand suitability.
• ViantAI, launched in 2024, covers AI Planning, AI Bidding, AI Measurement and Analysis, and AI Decisioning. Viant calls the architecture underneath it "Lattice Brain".

The newest piece is attention data. Viant bought TVision Insights on 1 May 2026 (10-Q, Q2 2026). TVision measures whether people are actually watching the screen, and Viant began testing its "pre-bid attention intelligence" in the bidder (Q2 2026 release). Other ways to measure attention and TV audiences are compared in CTV measurement companies.

Viant publishes no rate card. Its DSP page says it tailors "all rates/pricing based on our clients' needs" and offers free data onboarding (Viant DSP, accessed 9 November 2026). The 10-K explains both pricing options and how each is booked (10-K, FY2025):

The difference matters for transparency. Under the fixed CPM option, Viant has "discretion in establishing the price" of media and data, so the buyer pays one rate and does not see the split. Under the percentage option, the buyer sees media cost and fee as separate lines. Ask which option a quote uses. How these models compare with other DSPs is in DSP pricing explained, and a listed rival's fee stack is unpacked in The Trade Desk fees explained.

Strengths

• Direct CTV supply. Over 80% of CTV spend ran through Direct Access in Q2 2026, which shortens the path to publishers (Q2 2026 release).
• Identity built for TV. Household ID works without cookies, which suits CTV and app inventory.
• Video-level context and attention. IRIS_ID and TVision add signals that most DSPs buy from third parties.
• Public disclosure. Quarterly filings report revenue, CTV share and pricing methods, so buyers can track the business.

Limits

• Identity is tied to Viant. The filing says "Our DSP has exclusive access to the HHID" (10-K), so audiences built on it do not move to another DSP.
• Fixed-CPM deals hide the split. Buyers on insertion orders see one price, not media cost plus fee.
• Smaller scale. Revenue of $344.2 million in 2025 compares with The Trade Desk's $2.9 billion (The Trade Desk 10-K, FY2025), which can limit supply deals and data partners.
• Open litigation. One Nielsen patent suit against TVision remains active (10-Q, Q2 2026).

• Third-quarter 2026 results. No Q3 earnings 8-K had been filed on 9 November 2026 (SEC EDGAR).
• Any platform-fee percentage or CPM rate. Viant publishes neither.
• The price paid for TVision. The Q2 2026 10-Q describes the accounting as preliminary.
• Named customers beyond one agency testimonial. The annual report does not list clients.

1. Viant Technology Inc., Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 (filed 11 March 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1828791/000182879126000019/dsp-20251231.htm
2. Viant Technology Inc., Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 (filed 10 August 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1828791/000182879126000072/dsp-20260630.htm
3. Viant Technology, "Viant Technology Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results", Exhibit 99.1 to Form 8-K (10 August 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1828791/000182879126000068/dsp-20260810xexx991.htm
4. US Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR submissions record for Viant Technology Inc. (accessed 9 November 2026). https://data.sec.gov/submissions/CIK0001828791.json
5. IAB Europe, Global Vendor List v3, version 184 (last updated 5 November 2026). https://vendor-list.consensu.org/v3/vendor-list.json
6. Viant, "DSP" solutions page (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.viantinc.com/solutions/dsp/
7. Viant, home page (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.viantinc.com/
8. The Trade Desk, "The Trade Desk Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results" (6 August 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1671933/000167193326000085/ttd-20260806x8kexx991.htm
9. The Trade Desk, Inc., Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 (filed 27 February 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1671933/000167193326000014/ttd-20251231.htm