Mozilla Ads selects Index Exchange as first programmatic partner

Mozilla announced Index Exchange Inc. as its first official U.S. programmatic partner on October 6, 2025. The partnership marks a significant milestone in the launch of programmatic advertising on Firefox New Tab through Mozilla Ads, positioning one of the world's largest independent supply-side platforms to co-create what the companies describe as a new model for digital advertising.

The announcement debuted at Advertising Week New York 2025, where Mozilla.org COO Suba Vasudevan and Index Exchange CMO Lori Goode presented together on the future of trust and performance in digital advertising. Their keynote, titled "Adding Trust to Your Ad Buy: The Smartest Spend in Marketing Today," took place on the Advertising Week Innovation Stage on Monday, October 6.

According to the partnership structure, advertisers will access Mozilla's Firefox New Tab audience exclusively through Private Marketplace (PMP) or Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) deals through Index Exchange. This curated approach differs from open programmatic buying, requiring direct deal arrangements for inventory access.

Mozilla Ads provides access to over 210 million selective, discerning, brand-loyal users across Firefox and MDN Web Docs. The platform reaches more than 200 million monthly active Firefox users and 16.2 million monthly active MDN users, according to Mozilla's advertising materials. MDN serves as the go-to resource for millions of web developers globally.

"Advertising funds the open internet, but it needs a new foundation," said Suba Vasudevan, COO of Mozilla.org and SVP at Mozilla Corp. "Advertisers have always cared about brand safety. The missing piece has been trust in the platforms where ads run. That's the gap Mozilla is closing; making the advertising environment itself something that both brands and users can trust. And we do this all while protecting the privacy of our users' data."

The partnership addresses specific market needs as programmatic advertising reaches significant scale, with approximately 88% of global advertising spend flowing through programmatic channels. Mozilla positions its inventory as brand-safe, privacy-respecting supply for marketers committed to building on trusted platforms.

"Our partnership with Mozilla demonstrates how programmatic can evolve to create stronger outcomes for brands and better experiences for consumers," said Lori Goode, CMO of Index Exchange. "By uniting Mozilla's trusted environment with Index's infrastructure, we're building a model of programmatic rooted in quality, accountability, and long-term value."

Mozilla characterizes its 210 million-plus global users as typically hard to reach. According to Mozilla's advertising materials, these users are usually hidden behind ad blockers, nearly half avoid dominant social media platforms, and most reject default platforms. The company describes them as selective, tech-savvy, and paying attention.

Mozilla ensures no personal identifiers or cross-site tracking will be used in the advertising implementation. The approach reflects the partnership's commitment to user privacy while enabling advertisers to reach engaged audiences. Firefox research indicates privacy-minded users expect some level of personalization when it improves their experience, but only if delivered responsibly and with user control.

Firefox serves as the most trusted alternative to privacy-invading browsers, according to Mozilla's positioning. The browser maintains ridiculously high standards, refusing to put clutter in front of users. The platform promises no unwanted surprise placements or sketchy content next to advertisements, enabling advertisers to cut through the noise while keeping brands clean.

The collaboration builds on Mozilla's October 2024 expansion into digital advertising, when the company announced its strategy to balance commercial interests with user privacy. That announcement included the acquisition of Anonym, a company specializing in privacy-preserving digital advertising technology, and outlined Mozilla's two-pronged approach: developing privacy-respecting advertising solutions for its own products while building better technology for the industry.

Mozilla Ads operates on a mission to fix what funds the internet by reinventing digital advertising from the inside. The company aims to create an advertising ecosystem built on trust, embedding respect, privacy, and performance into everything it does. Mozilla has been a pioneer and advocate for internet health for more than 25 years.

Index Exchange brings over 20 years of experience in programmatic advertising infrastructure to the partnership. The supply-side platform has established itself as a significant player in the advertising technology ecosystem, with recent integrations including contextual intelligence from Gracenote and strategic investments in AI-powered advertising technology through First Party Capital.

The partnership underscores Mozilla's growing investment in advertising as a sustainable revenue stream built around user trust and privacy. For Index Exchange, the collaboration demonstrates leadership in developing transparent, future-ready programmatic solutions as the industry grapples with privacy requirements and evolving user expectations.

Private Marketplace deals provide advertisers with controlled access to premium inventory through pre-negotiated terms. Unlike open programmatic buying, PMP deals offer guaranteed access to specific inventory at predetermined prices or bidding parameters, enabling advertisers to maintain campaign control while accessing curated audience segments.

The timing aligns with broader industry shifts toward privacy-first advertising solutions. Browser restrictions on Safari and Firefox, combined with regulatory pressure across markets, have reduced third-party cookie effectiveness while increasing demand for privacy-compliant alternatives. Mozilla's approach positions the Firefox New Tab environment as inventory that maintains targeting capabilities without personal identifiers or cross-site tracking.

For the marketing community, the partnership represents a potential model for how major platforms can monetize while maintaining privacy commitments. The exclusive PMP/PG deal structure suggests Mozilla intends to control advertiser access rather than making inventory widely available through open exchanges.

Connected TV and streaming advertising provide context for understanding Mozilla's programmatic strategy. Industry data shows CTV's media budget share projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, reflecting marketer recognition of superior performance metrics compared to traditional channels. Mozilla Ads' entry into programmatic advertising through a curated, privacy-first approach mirrors emerging patterns in premium digital inventory monetization.

The partnership structure requires advertisers to work through Index Exchange's platform infrastructure to access Mozilla's inventory. This approach differs from direct sales relationships or open programmatic availability, positioning Index Exchange as the primary programmatic gateway to Firefox New Tab advertising opportunities.

Mozilla and Index Exchange characterized the collaboration as co-creating a new programmatic model. The companies emphasized data control, safety, and user trust as core platform elements, distinguishing their approach from surveillance-driven advertising models.

"Trust is a lever, and we need to wake up and accept that," Suba Vasudevan noted about the evolving programmatic playbook, according to Index Exchange's LinkedIn announcement of the partnership.

The Firefox browser maintains significant global reach despite competition from Chrome, Safari, and other browsers. Mozilla's user base provides advertisers with access to audiences across diverse geographic markets and demographic segments. The company positions this reach as an opportunity for marketers to build connections in trusted, brand-safe environments, particularly noting that the audience is incremental—often hidden behind ad blockers and avoiding dominant platforms.

Mozilla Ads emphasizes brand safety as a core differentiator. The platform maintains high content standards, refusing to place clutter in front of users or allow unwanted surprise placements. Advertisements appear in environments free from sketchy content, enabling brands to maintain clean associations while reaching engaged audiences.

Index Exchange operates as a global advertising supply-side platform enabling media owners to maximize content value across screens. The company describes itself as an industry pioneer with over 20 years of experience connecting leading experience makers with major brands to ensure quality consumer experiences.

The October 6 announcement date coincides with Advertising Week New York 2025, providing a high-profile venue for the partnership reveal. The companies selected the event's Innovation Stage for their joint presentation, emphasizing the forward-looking nature of their collaboration.

Timeline

• October 6, 2025: Mozilla Ads announces Index Exchange as first official U.S. programmatic partner for Firefox New Tab advertising, reaching 210 million users
• October 6, 2025: Suba Vasudevan and Lori Goode co-present at Advertising Week New York 2025 on trust and performance in digital advertising
• October 2024: Mozilla expands into digital advertising with privacy-focused approach, acquiring Anonym
• September 2025: Index Exchange integrates Gracenote contextual intelligence, becoming first SSP with embedded brand safety controls
• July 2025: Index Exchange invests in First Party Capital to support AI-powered advertising technology startups
• February 2025: Programmatic advertising growth reaches 72% as marketers shift budgets toward Connected TV

Summary

Who: Mozilla Ads selected Index Exchange Inc., one of the world's largest independent supply-side platforms, as its programmatic partner. Mozilla.org COO Suba Vasudevan and Index Exchange CMO Lori Goode announced the collaboration at Advertising Week New York 2025.

What: The partnership establishes Index Exchange as Mozilla Ads' first official U.S. programmatic partner for Firefox New Tab advertising, providing access to over 210 million users across Firefox (200 million monthly active users) and MDN Web Docs (16.2 million monthly active users). Inventory will be available exclusively through Private Marketplace (PMP) or Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) deals, with no personal identifiers or cross-site tracking used in the implementation.

When: Mozilla announced the partnership on October 6, 2025, at Advertising Week New York 2025, where both executives presented jointly on the Advertising Week Innovation Stage.

Where: The partnership makes Firefox New Tab inventory available to advertisers through Index Exchange's programmatic infrastructure. Firefox reaches hundreds of millions of users worldwide, with Mozilla characterizing the audience as incremental—typically hidden behind ad blockers, with nearly half avoiding dominant social media and most rejecting default platforms.

Why: The collaboration aims to create a new programmatic model that provides advertisers with access to engaged audiences while ensuring data control, safety, and user trust remain core to the platform. Mozilla positions the partnership as closing the trust gap in digital advertising environments while maintaining privacy commitments and creating sustainable revenue streams. The approach addresses growing industry demand for privacy-first advertising solutions as browser restrictions and regulatory pressure reduce third-party cookie effectiveness.