in typical scenario, a $5 cpm can end up netting a publisher $1 -- once everyone else gets paid via @adage
Web Publishers Left With Little After Ad Spoils Split
In a not-atypical scenario, a publisher may only receive $1 of a $5 cost-per-thousand media buy once all the middlemen have taken their tithes. Where does the rest go? According to an estimate from Tolman Geffs, co-president of investment bank Jordan Edmiston, it gets divided like this: The agency ($.75), ad network ($2), data provider ($0.75), ad exchange ($0.25) and the ad server ($0.25).
via adage.com
Funnily enough this is what internet publishing was going to change - the voracious middlemen eating up the revenues before they got to the publisher.
Full article is worth a read.
I'm interested to hear about alternative models feel free to drop a comment if you know of one.
