PubMatic has launched a Creator Marketplace, establishing what the company describes as the first programmatic connected television (CTV) auction linking independent creator media companies’ premium CTV inventory with programmatic and agentic advertising demand.

The platform connects creator-publisher supply with buyers operating through AgenticOS, PubMatic’s agentic advertising platform. As the company stated in a press release, the global Creator Economy is estimated to exceed $250 billion, yet creator monetization has traditionally relied on direct sponsorships and walled gardens, leaving independent publishers without programmatic infrastructure, the company said. IAB research found that two in three digital video buyers are actively using or planning agentic AI campaigns in 2026, which PubMatic cited as supporting demand for the marketplace.

MeatEater, the outdoor lifestyle media brand founded by author and television host Steven Rinella, joins as the marketplace’s inaugural publisher partner. The company operates with 12 full-time content creators, reports more than seven million social followers and over two million YouTube subscribers, and distributes content across FAST and AVOD platforms. MeatEater reports that 32% of its audience has made a purchase based on the creator team’s recommendations.

“The Creator Economy has matured into one of the most powerful forces in media, yet the programmatic industry has mostly stayed on the outside,” said Nicole Scaglione, VP of CTV at PubMatic. “With the surge of agentic advertising at PubMatic, we are seeing a new class of advertisers hungry for the type of highly-engaged, deeply-loyal audiences that these creators bring.”

Marketplace Infrastructure

Holmes Media, whose Boost offering helps creator-led media companies scale premium CTV inventory, developed the marketplace in partnership with PubMatic. FreeWheel serves as the inaugural ad server partner, enabling integration across platforms and existing creator-publisher workflows.

“Many of today’s most influential creators have built highly engaged audiences and premium content, yet they often lack the infrastructure, transparency, and standardized buying workflows required to access large-scale video advertising budgets,” said Emily Bromley, VP Global Growth at FreeWheel.

Andrew Barge, Chief Content Officer at MeatEater, said the partnership “opens a programmatic front door” to advertiser demand while preserving creator and audience standards.

PubMatic said additional creator-founded media companies across key verticals are expected to join the marketplace in the coming months.

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