News websites don’t just deliver stories, they also deliver ads. And those ads are what keep journalism free and sustainable in the digital age. One of the most important revenue streams for publishers today is programmatic advertising. In Europe, 51.9% of non-social display advertising is now bought programmatically. In North America, this number is even higher.
To make the most of programmatic advertising while keeping operational costs under control, publishers need a solid setup. Some choose to build in-house teams to manage the whole programmatic monetisation operation. Others prefer to outsource everything to managed service providers.
If you’re a publisher deciding between running programmatic operations in-house or outsourcing them, this article will walk you through the trade-offs, benefits, and considerations, so you can choose what’s best for your business.
Know Your Programmatic Goals
Before you decide who should run your programmatic setup, it helps to know what you want. It’s a bit like going to the grocery store; having a list saves you time, money, and stress.
Ask yourself:
Having a clear idea of your monetisation goals will stop you from being overwhelmed or misled. At the same time, stay open. You might realise your ideal setup isn’t yet feasible with your current structure or finances, and that’s okay.
Outsource Programmatic to Managed Service Providers
So let’s say you’ve done your internal homework and decided to outsource your programmatic operations. What does that actually look like?
Relevant Digital offers a managed service called Relevant Programmatic, so I can give you a real-world perspective here. When you work with managed service providers like Freestar, Raptive, YourBow, Snack Media, or us, you’re partnering with specialists who manage monetisation for hundreds (sometimes thousands) of websites.
These companies know the ins and outs of programmatic advertising, and they charge accordingly. Typically, the cost is between 20 - 25% of the revenue generated.
If your site makes around €20,000/month in ad revenue and you work with a managed service provider that charges 20–25%, you’ll pay:
€4,000–€5,000/month in service fees
Now compare that to the alternative: hiring one full-time programmatic manager and licensing a few essential AdTech tools. Depending on salaries and tools, your in-house costs could easily match or exceed that fee. In this case, outsourcing might actually save you money and time, especially if you don’t want to deal with the operational complexity.
But the equation changes as your revenue grows.
Let’s say you make €200,000/month from programmatic advertising:
At a 25% service fee, you're paying €50,000/month
In-house, a team of 2–3 programmatic specialists plus high-quality tech infrastructure might cost closer to €20,000/month.
So at that scale, outsourcing could cost more than double what you'd pay to run things in-house—€30,000/month more, every month. That kind of margin can easily justify building and owning your own operation. In this case, building an in-house team could be the smarter long-term strategy.
Here are a few non-financial considerations, too:
So, if things like data visibility, custom strategy, and control over user experience are a top priority for you, then outsourcing might not tick all the boxes and managing in-house might be a better fit for you.
Managing Programmatic In-House: Is It Worth It?
If full independence and maximum control are important to you, then building your own programmatic team is a serious option. As a publisher, your ad inventory is your revenue engine, and managing it in-house means you get to decide exactly how it’s run.
You’ll be in charge of hiring, training, and managing your team. The initial investment is higher: you’ll need to pay salaries, benefits, and possibly invest time in onboarding. Even experienced programmatic specialists need a few weeks to learn your stack and processes.
But once your team is in place, you can build a powerful, agile advertising strategy that aligns directly with your content, brand, and goals.
Another key part of this puzzle is AdTech. If you go in-house, you’ll likely need to sort out contracts and integrations with the following:
To keep costs under control, look for AdTech platforms that combine multiple features. For example, Relevant Yield is our SaaS platform that combines reporting, analytics, and header bidding management, all in one place. With a no-code interface and robust analytics, it’s designed to save time and reduce the need for multiple vendors.
You can also adopt a hybrid model; some of our clients use Relevant Programmatic to access demand from top-performing SSPs while managing their programmatic themselves via Relevant Yield. This lets them keep control while benefiting from high-quality demand and reduced tech hassle.
Whatever tools you choose, make sure you do your research. Ad Tech isn’t the clearest and most transparent industry, and that’s one of the big selling points of managed service; they do this part for you. But if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and compare tools, the right partner can make a huge difference.
Conclusion: In-House, Outsourced, or Hybrid?
There’s no single right answer. I’ve seen big publishers with billions of impressions outsource their ad operations completely, and I’ve also worked with smaller publishers who run lean, high-performing in-house teams.
What matters most is alignment with your business goals and resources.
The key is knowing what you want and being realistic about what you can handle. If you take the time now to set up your ad operations the right way, you’ll avoid costly mistakes later.