Direct programmatic refers to the automated management of buying and selling advertising space between an ad network and an agency or advertiser. This concept relies on a direct approach to transactions, involving the sale of ad space by an ad network directly to agencies or advertisers, without resorting to real-time bidding (RTB). Instead, ad space is typically sold in blocks, with a guaranteed volume of impressions, and billed at a cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for specific placements such as the homepage.

In practice, the marketing methods of programmatic RTB and direct sales are converging, sometimes merging through hybrid approaches. This allows for leveraging the advantages of programmatic automation while retaining the guarantees and predictability offered by direct sales. Thus, programmatic direct, as perceived by Kantar Media, is evolving to meet the changing needs of the online advertising market and to offer flexible and efficient solutions to industry players.