Vistar Media launches Programmatic Guaranteed

Vistar’s new offering combines the confidence of direct deals with the power and flexibility of programmatic buying

Vistar Media, the leading global provider of technology solutions for out-of-home (OOH) media and part of T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, today announced the launch of Programmatic Guaranteed (PG), a new way to buy and sell OOH campaigns when certainty and control are essential. PG allows advertisers to lock in delivery and pricing on select inventory, while giving media owners better visibility into demand and stronger budget commitments—especially during high-demand periods. With the addition of PG, Vistar’s marketplace now supports the full spectrum of programmatic transaction types—open exchange, private marketplace (PMP) and guaranteed—ensuring every campaign objective can be met.

PG provides the assurance of direct deals and the speed, scale and flexibility of programmatic. For advertisers, it means guaranteed delivery on high-value inventory. For media owners, it provides budget confidence and enables them to plan and manage their inventory with greater efficiency when it matters most. 

“The laws of supply and demand still rule in the U.S. market, and when brands are planning around moments where visibility is critical and inventory is limited, they need certainty,” said Lucy Markowitz, SVP & GM, US Marketplace at Vistar Media. “Programmatic Guaranteed makes it possible to lock in placements and budgets ahead of time, so both buyers and media owners can move forward with confidence. Most solutions today fall short on delivery assurance and pacing, so we built the most complete solution in-market to change that.”

What Sets Vistar Apart

Vistar’s Programmatic Guaranteed solution is designed specifically for the complexity of OOH, and built to do more than just reserve space. Unlike other offerings, Vistar provides a fully integrated workflow that makes execution easier from start to finish, including automating pacing on behalf of the media owner to ensure campaigns deliver smoothly and as expected.

Vistar’s approach includes:

• Inventory reservation: Vistar enables true reservation of campaign inventory through its ad server. Media owners using other ad servers or CMS platforms can coordinate availability using their existing systems.
• Automated pacing: Uniquely, Vistar takes on pacing responsibilities—automatically distributing impressions across the flight and adjusting for screen outages or fluctuations to keep campaigns on track.
• Seamless activation: When using Vistar’s DSP, campaigns are pushed directly into the buyer’s account, with any updates from media owners reflected automatically, no manual setup required. For omnichannel DSPs, a shared deal ID enables activation.

Guaranteed Performance When it Matters Most

Historically, buyers had to choose between the flexibility of non-guaranteed and the certainty of direct deals, often at the cost of manual effort and limited scalability. Vistar’s Programmatic Guaranteed offering eliminates that tradeoff, making it easier to plan campaigns with confidence, execute efficiently and deliver results when guaranteed outcomes are essential.

With PG, advertisers benefit from:

• Guaranteed delivery: Secure guaranteed impressions, ad plays or screen time on high-value inventory at a fixed price.
• Streamlined execution: Activate campaigns directly through Vistar’s DSP omnichannel DSPs —no manual processes or workarounds.
• Strategic precision: Confidently plan around key events or short-flight, high-impact campaigns with reserved placements. 

Media owners benefit from:

• Budget confidence: Reserve inventory and revenue commitments in advance of high-demand periods. 
• Operational efficiency: Automated pacing and dynamic reallocation to meet delivery goals.
• Flexible monetization: Preserve premium pricing for high-value inventory, or secure larger guaranteed budgets upfront during peak periods, supporting better revenue forecasting and inventory planning.

When to Use Programmatic Guaranteed

Programmatic Guaranteed is ideal for campaigns that require confidence, control and consistency, especially when inventory is in high demand or timing is critical. Common use cases include:

• Tentpole moments & high-demand events: Secure premium inventory in advance of high-traffic periods like the Super Bowl, World Cup, Formula 1, Black Friday or national elections, when screens fill up fast.
• Short-flight, large budget campaigns: Maximize share of voice for time-sensitive activations such as product launches, flash sales or announcements that require high impression volume over a brief window.
• Strategic sponsorships & precision targeting: Lock in placements across spectaculars or high-traffic locations for long-term visibility, or run location-specific takeovers to reach targeted audiences. 

Vistar has done the hard work behind the scenes for a PG solution that is seamless, reliable and scalable—allowing both buyers and sellers to operate with the confidence of a direct deal, without the operational lift. 

For more information on how to activate Programmatic Guaranteed, contact Vistar Media today.