Ep 7: Mediation waterfall vs in-app bidding

Why does your app still ask ad networks one at a time?

Mediation is the layer in your app that picks which ad source fills each ad.

In a waterfall, Puzzle Pop calls Network A first, at an average eCPM of five dollars, then Network B, at three. Google’s help says the waterfall uses the average you set, not what a network will pay right now. For this user, B would pay eight dollars CPM. But A, called first, fills at two. A six-dollar gap. With bidding, A and B bid at once. Two against eight. B wins. Most setups are hybrid. AdMob runs the auction first, then slots the winner into the waterfall by value. A losing bidder isn’t called again. And Unity Ads no longer lets you create new waterfall placements.

Today, list your waterfall-only ad sources, and ask each about bidding.

Next: AdMob, MAX and LevelPlay.