Platform-wide ban marks one of the industry’s boldest moves toward cleaner programmatic advertising.
NEW YORK, May 16, 2025 — Equativ, the leading independent media platform, announced at the Jounce SPO Summit in NYC that it has blocked all Made-for-Advertising (MFA) inventory across its global exchange, including both Equativ and Sharethrough platforms. The move is one facet of the company’s broader aims to not only improve inventory but prioritize sustainability as well.
This decision, along with the recent expansion of Green PMPs™ announced at the Green Media Summit, align with the company’s broader environmental strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of programmatic advertising while simultaneously promoting responsible media buying at scale.
“We believe in building a more transparent, efficient, and sustainable ecosystem,” said Curt Larson, Chief Innovation Officer. “Banning MFA sites across our exchange is about more than buyer media quality—it’s also about funneling media dollars to publishers creating valuable content.”
MFA sites, often designed to maximize ad revenue with minimal content value, have accounted for up to 30% of open web ad auctions at their peak, and can represent over 15% of an advertiser’s spend if not properly blocked. The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) recently reported a drop in MFA-related ad spend from 15% in 2023 to 6.2% in 2024, signaling progress but underscoring the need for continued vigilance and action. By removing them automatically from its full exchange, Equativ aims to reduce waste, improve performance, and deliver more value to advertisers and publishers alike.
The company is leveraging Jounce Media data to identify MFA sites and has built filters to remove them across both open exchange and deal spend. In addition to providing a quality ad ecosystem for advertisers, this initiative from Equativ also aims to put pressure on these websites to improve their user and advertiser experience.
This initiative is part of Equativ’s ongoing commitment to prioritize “green media” solutions, which include carbon measurement partnerships, supply path optimization, and clean and premium inventory, and further builds upon Sharethrough’s pioneering efforts to lower carbon emissions from ad campaigns and remove MFAs from ad deals.
About Equativ
Equativ, a leading independent media platform, brings scale and simplicity to digital advertising. Following its recent merger with Sharethrough and the acquisition of Kamino Retail, advertisers, media owners, and technology partners rely on Equativ’s advanced SSP, curation, and retail media services and technology to achieve maximum business outcomes. With a focus on privacy-first programmatic video, CTV, and data-driven solutions, Equativ enables clients to activate across the digital ecosystem while protecting consumer privacy. The company’s global expertise is also backed by a team of over 750 employees across 20 countries. Learn more at Equativ.com.
Equativ is a global, end-to-end media platform empowering advertisers and publishers to achieve real outcomes by uniting premium inventory and audiences with advanced curation and cutting-edge ad tech across all channels. Purpose-built for the attention economy, Equativ delivers quality, engagement, and performance while prioritizing respectful, user-centric ad experiences. With a team of over 750 professionals across 20 countries, Equativ combines global scale with deep local expertise.
Learn more at Equativ.com.
