The setup you describe is only true of very small publishers (i.e. a single site). iAd is essentially a supply-side platform (SSP); just like DoubleClick. A lar

The setup you describe is only true of very small publishers (i.e. a single site). iAd is essentially a supply-side platform (SSP); just like DoubleClick. A large publisher like Wired will use what's called a demand-side platform (DSP) -- something like Auditude or Freewheel. This would allow you to manage ad sales between 3rd party ad networks, data partners, internal sales and remnant inventory in a way that provides the publisher with control over what ads get shown. A common setup is to bid an impression against multiple ad networks (and local inventory) based on the user's data profile (obtained from a data provider). Google consolidates all of this themselves, which makes it easier if you're small, but any major publisher is going to handle ad sales at least partially in house. Ad sales are the revenue stream, and you just don't outsource your revenue generation process -- period. There's just a conflict of interest in doing it any other way. A DSP wants to play multiple SSPs against each other to get the highest priced ads for its content while preserving the user experience (DSPs often include features that allow you restrict the number of times an ad shows to the same user, etc). The SSPs are looking to get the best results for their advertisers at the lowest price. It's not a brilliant move because platform lock-in is too easy to avoid thanks to the myriad of ad tech providers in the space. Apple will get some app developers and small sites with this, but 95% of the market has evolved past a solution like this into something far more "enterprise".