a major entertainment publisher × Adverge, Live A/B test
+90% RPS.
From a 10% test slice.
60 days, no down days.
A high-traffic entertainment publisher needed independent proof that another monetization stack could beat their incumbent, without disrupting day-to-day revenue. They got it: Adverge’s 10% test slice ran 90% above the incumbent’s RPS, sustained across 60 days, on identical inventory and the same demand sources.
Monthly visitors
50MM
High-quality entertainment traffic
RPS uplift
+90%
vs. the incumbent vendor
Test duration
60 days
2026
Adverge traffic share
10%
Incumbent ran the other 90%
Enabled
Mid-test
Format introduction during the test, 2026
60-day controlled A/B · 2026 →
01 The problem
High-traffic entertainment. Single-vendor lock-in.
A major entertainment and lifestyle publisher with 50MM monthly visitors, where ad revenue underpins editorial. For years the full monetization stack, wrapper, demand, and floors, had been run by a single vendor, with no competitive pressure and no independent benchmark. The publisher suspected their CPMs were soft but had no way to prove it, and a full migration is a one-way move. Three problems converged:
- Vendor lock-in. One managed partner controlled the whole stack. No second opinion ran anywhere on the inventory.
- Suspected underperformance, no proof. CPMs felt soft against market chatter, but without a live comparison the gap could not be confirmed.
- Opaque switching cost. Any decision needed measured performance under real traffic, not pitch decks.
02 The Solution
Controlled split. Identical inventory. Real revenue.
Adverge ran a controlled A/B test designed to minimize the publisher’s risk while producing a clean, defensible comparison:
Why this approach: a clear split is the right structure when you’re testing a new vendor against an established one. The publisher’s baseline revenue stays protected. The test slice produces statistically clean data on a sample large enough to be credible. And because the comparison is live, on the same inventory, same demand, and same day. There’s no measurement noise from sequential testing or modeled estimates.
Mid-test in 2026, Adverge enabled Parallax on the test slice , a rich-media format displaying 300×600 expandable units inside a 300×300 viewport. The format was introduced mid-test to evaluate whether stack capabilities beyond pure demand orchestration would compound the existing uplift. They did.
03 The Results
Same demand. Better outcome.
RPS uplift, Adverge slice vs. incumbent
+90%
Sustained across the full 60-day test window · 2026
Consistency
60 days
No down days. Adverge’s RPS led the incumbent every measurement window
- Revenue per session: +90% RPS uplift. On identical inventory and the same demand sources, the Adverge slice priced higher than the incumbent slice in every measurement window across 60 days.
- Decision velocity: validated in 60 days, not quarters. A controlled side-by-side replaced what could have been months of vendor due-diligence or a high-risk full-switch trial. The publisher now has measured data, not pitch-deck claims.
- Compounding upside: format upgrade lifted results further. Parallax, enabled on the Adverge slice mid-test (mid-test), amplified the existing RPS lead in the second half of the window, demonstrating that the stack delivers more than demand-side gains.
| Phase | Window | RPS uplift | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side-by-side A/B | 2026 | +90% | Adverge 10% slice vs. incumbent 90%, on identical inventory and demand sources |
| Format upgrade | Mid-test, 2026 | Compounded | Parallax rich-media enabled on the Adverge slice, amplified the existing RPS lead |
04 The outcome
From hunch to defensible baseline.
The test replaced suspicion with a measured number the publisher can stand behind: a 10% Adverge slice priced 90 percent above the 90% incumbent slice, on the same inventory and demand. The same A/B framework can re-run on new formats, geos, or ad units to keep extending it. Whatever they choose next, stay, expand the Adverge slice, or migrate, the decision is now backed by live performance instead of vendor claims.
Work with Adverge
Want proof before you switch?
Adverge runs controlled A/B tests against incumbent setups every week. Same inventory, same demand, transparent measurement. If you want a clean comparison on your own inventory before any migration, we can set one up.