The Trade Desk has a new upgrade to its third-party data marketplace that promises to recalibrate data pricing stack. Called Audience Unlimited, the product uses AI to automatically score and rank data segments by relevance, with a simplified, inclusive pricing model to reduce advertisers’ reliance on costly, à la carte data fees.
Currently, advertisers spend nearly 20% of media budgets on third-party data. Audience Unlimited will be integrated into The Trade Desk’s platform for scaled precision targeting across thousands of curated segments from hundreds of providers at a better price point.
The move comes alongside the launch of Koa Adaptive Trading Modes, a new AI-powered system that gives buyers flexibility between full AI-driven optimisation (Performance Mode, where Audience Unlimited is bundled at no extra cost) and more manual oversight (Control Mode, priced at 3.3% or 4.4% of impression costs).
Both features will roll out to select agencies later in 2025, before a wider launch in early 2026.
“By securing bulk pricing for data, The Trade Desk can pass on savings to
advertisers, and our advanced AI will help advertisers understand the relevance of all data sources
to their campaigns and layer in as much as they need to optimize performance," said Samantha Jacobson, chief strategy officer at The Trade Desk.
Industry partners welcomed the shift. Michael Beebe, CEO of Dstillery, called it “a fundamental shift in how advertisers approach targeting,” while LiveRamp’s Anne Acker said the product “paves the way for the future of media buying” by combining AI with trusted third-party sources.
