Abstract: A system and methods for allocating impressions using an auction comprises a delivery engine, a statistics collector, a forecasting module, and optimization engine and a direct demand source. The delivery engine receives indirect demand, direct demand and optimization information that it uses to allocate impressions and serve ads. The statistics collector is coupled to collect information from the delivery engine and input from the forecasting module. The forecasting module provides information to the optimization to smooth the rate at which direct demand is allocated. The optimization engine receives information from the statistics collector, the forecasting module and the direct demand source to produce optimization information that is used to generate bids for the direct demand.

Abstract: Methods and systems for establishing a reserve price for a publisher's ad space inventory offered via a real-time bidding market are disclosed. In some embodiments, a certain percentage of traffic (e.g., ad requests) received at an ad market server are redirected to one or more external networks, such as ad networks, for processing. The performance of the redirected ad requests is analyzed to determine an expected clearing price for the ad requests. The expected clearing price of a particular ad request corresponding to a particular ad space, if greater than a publisher-established reserve price, is used as a market reserve price when presenting the ad requests in a real-time bidding market.