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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryAdtech & ProgrammaticAd Mediation

Adtech & Programmatic

Ad Mediation

Software in mobile apps that manages multiple ad networks to fill each ad request, historically by waterfall and increasingly through bidding.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Ad mediation is software inside a mobile app that manages multiple ad networks to fill each ad request. Historically it called networks one after another in a ranked waterfall, but it increasingly runs bidding, where networks compete simultaneously. The goal is to maximize fill rate and revenue without the developer integrating each network manually.