Delivery Ops
Part of CTV campaign reviews
Reviewing spending by publisher and creative version
Build a CTV spending matrix by publisher and creative, reconcile the cost basis and leave unreportable allocations clearly unknown.
To review CTV spending by publisher and creative version, use cost and impression records that identify both on the same basis. Show any amount that cannot be assigned to both dimensions as pooled or unknown. Do not allocate it in proportion to impressions without a documented cost rule.
Reconcile the amount being allocated
Start with what the advertiser is expected to pay. Separate media cost, platform and data fees, agency charges, tax and production. Align dates, currency and the impression event for every row. A platform’s media-cost field is not automatically the advertiser’s invoice total.
Where platform reports use their own cost labels, check the agreement and invoice before deciding which amount belongs in this review. A direct publisher booking may use different fee lines; map them to the same review categories only where the terms permit.
Build a joint table from supported fields
Use stable creative IDs from the version register. Establish what each supply field identifies: an app or URL, a seller ID and a contracted publisher can be different things. Confirm the mapping before labelling a row as a publisher.
| Supply group with verified identity | Creative ID | Eligible TV impressions | Allocable advertiser cost | Effective CPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reported joint cut | Approved version | Matching count | Cost assigned on the same basis | Cost ÷ impressions × 1,000 |
| Pooled or unclassified | Known or unknown | Reported count | Known amount or unknown | Only when both inputs match |
Keep non-TV delivery outside the approved CTV total. Calculate an effective CPM only when cost and impressions refer to the same dates, inventory and event. If fees are charged at a higher level and cannot be assigned reliably, show them separately rather than making each creative appear to have a precise payable CPM.
Available reporting dimensions and metrics vary by platform and report. Do not assume a usable joint cut exists for the actual buy, and a supply or placement field is not necessarily the publisher.
A separate cost transparency report may group costs differently and may not align to a publisher-by-creative ledger or a final invoice. Check its scope and data period before comparing it with a final invoice.
Publisher vs Creative Version Spend Allocation
- Supply group with verified identity
- Reported joint cut
- Creative ID
- Approved version
- Eligible TV impressions
- Matching count
- Allocable advertiser cost
- Cost assigned on the same basis
Use the pattern carefully
Compare supported rows with the planned publisher mix, creative schedule and approved changes. A version with little spend may simply have had a shorter eligible period or fewer accepting placements. Check the reason before treating its low delivery as a message result.
Finish with the share of payable cost that can be traced to both dimensions, the pooled amount and the allocation decision. Keep production separate: a reusable asset’s cost should not be silently assigned to one publisher’s media performance.
Steps to Reconcile CTV Spending by Publisher and Creative Version
- Start with expected advertiser paymentBreak down into media cost, fees, tax, production and agency charges
- Align dates, currency and impression eventEnsure consistency across all rows
- Map platform cost labels to invoice termsCheck agreement and invoice before allocation
- Build joint table using stable creative IDsVerify supply group identity and publisher mapping
- Calculate effective CPM only when cost and impressions matchExclude non-TV delivery from approved CTV total
- Report pooled or unknown amounts clearlyDo not allocate proportionally without documented rule
- Finalise share of payable cost traceable to both dimensionsKeep production costs separate from media performance
