A sub-network is a publisher that operates its own network of sub-affiliates beneath it, sitting between the advertiser's affiliate network and a large number of smaller individual publishers. It aggregates traffic across many sub-affiliates, handles their payouts, and typically negotiates a bulk commission arrangement with the advertiser or primary network.
A voucher-code aggregator operates as a sub-network, managing relationships with 1,500 smaller sub-affiliate sites. The advertiser pays the sub-network a single commission pool each month, which the sub-network then splits and distributes to its individual sub-affiliates.
Advertisers lose direct visibility into exactly which sub-affiliate sites are generating sales and how those sites are promoting the brand, since the sub-network manages that layer itself. This can create brand-safety or compliance blind spots, which is why some advertisers restrict or prohibit sub-network participation in program terms.
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