Google Finally Allows Fair Auction for Header Bidding Ad Networks

Google Removes Its 'Last-Look' Auction Advantage. The "last-look" advantage Google’s ad server gave to Google's ad exchange so bothered publishers and exchanges that it gave rise to header bidding. As of this week, that advantage is no more!

Previously, AdX would wait for all those other exchanges to submit their bids, and then give itself a chance to outbid the winner. So if Google’s exchange had two bids of $1 and $5, it would be able to beat a $4 bid from an outside exchange. Under the new auction rules, it would submit a bid of $1 (the second price) and lose the auction.

Here's how the programmatic auction will work: All EBDA exchange participants – including Index Exchange, Rubicon Project, PubMatic, Sovrn, Smaato and Gamut – submit their final bids. The DoubleClick AdExchange (AdX) also submits its final bid. And the best price wins.   Read more.