The news: Supply-side platform (SSP) Magnite is offering agentic media buying for home screen ads on LG smart TVs, per AdExchanger. Agencies will be able to use their own agents to access and buy the connected TV (CTV) inventory by linking with Magnite’s agents in its programmatic platforms.

Toyota is the first brand to test the offering, deploying a campaign starring San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy that is meant to drive brand awareness, per AdExchanger.

Why it matters: CTV home screens ads could entice more advertisers to adopt agentic media buying. It’s a high-attention placement because viewers need to consciously navigate the interface to choose their content. In comparison, ads that appear in streaming content can be more easily ignored, such as through second-screen viewing.

The availability of this inventory could appeal to the two-thirds of ad buyers who are focusing more time and resources on agentic buying, per the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

Implications for advertisers: With agentic media-buying expanding to more premium inventory, it’s important to determine precisely what these systems are able to achieve for brands. For instance, the fact that Toyota used LG’s home screen to drive brand awareness, not sales or conversions, could reveal limitations in the kinds of campaigns that Magnite’s sell-side agents can handle.

Agentic buying experiments should cover a variety of media, campaign types, and objectives to paint a comprehensive picture of agents’ strengths and weaknesses. As the option matures, it will become clear which portions of media buying can be automated and which still need to be managed by humans.

Keep in mind, however, that these experiments are simultaneously testing sell-side, buy-side, and any other agents involved in the process—each of which can come from a different partner. When possible, isolate variables so that a particular agent and its performance can be more thoroughly investigated.

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