Platform vs platform
Updated 2026-07-01
Google Display Network vs OTT (Over-The-Top)
Google Display Network averages $0.71 CPC and $3.33 CPM. OTT (Over-The-Top) is bought on CPM only, averaging $26.60. Analysis for Canada in 2026.
Google Display Network
CPC$0.71
CPM$3.33
Best forBrand awareness, Remarketing, Visual products
vs
OTT (Over-The-Top)
CPC—
CPM$26.60
Best forBrand awareness, Premium audiences, Video storytelling
Amber underline marks the lower cost on each metric. Ties get neither. Em dash means the platform is not sold on that basis.
Which one, for you?
Which should I actually pick?
Answer three questions and we'll score Google Display Network vs OTT (Over-The-Top) on budget fit, industry rank and goal alignment.
Regional context
Advertising in Canada
Canada is a smaller but disproportionately mature digital ad market, with digital share of total media spend tracking close to US levels. Google and Meta dominate, but Canadian advertisers contend with two important wrinkles: French-language obligations in Quebec (Bill 96 enforcement has tightened) and CASL, one of the world's strictest anti-spam laws. CPMs typically run 5-10% below the US, reflecting a smaller auction pool and lower absolute population. The market is also unusually concentrated geographically — Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver account for the majority of high-value commercial audiences, which makes geo-targeting more efficient than national campaigns for most verticals.
Regulatory notes
PIPEDA governs federal privacy; CASL imposes strict opt-in requirements for commercial electronic messages; Quebec's Bill 25 mirrors GDPR-style provisions.
Quick comparison
Quick Comparison
Delta reads left to right: how Google Display Network compares to OTT (Over-The-Top) on each line.
| Metric | Google Display Network | OTT (Over-The-Top) | Δ Google vs OTT | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. CPC | $0.71 | — | — | One side is not sold on a CPC basis. |
| Avg. CPM | $3.33 | $26.60 | -87% | Cost to buy 1,000 impressions on each board. |
| Clicks per $5,000 | 7,042 | — | — | Volume advantage before conversion rate is applied. |
| Typical CVR | 0.9% | 0.4% | +125% | Cross-industry typicals by channel type, not board data. |
| Implied CPA | $79 | — | — | At the CVRs above; your account will differ. Implied CPA = CPC ÷ CVR. |
| Min. viable monthly spend | — | — | — | To exit learning / gather bid-strategy signal. |
| Pricing tier | Low | High | Board tiers by CPM/CPC percentile. |
By industry · estimated CPM
Where the gap widens
Google Display NetworkOTT (Over-The-Top)
Finance
Tech/SaaS
B2B
Healthcare
Education
Real Estate
E-commerce
Retail
Google Display Network 87% cheaper per thousand impressions
Method
Each industry estimate = platform baseline × (industry CPM ÷ cross-industry average CPM of $13.13). The ratio between the two platforms is therefore constant; what changes by industry is the absolute cost.
Under the hood
How each one charges you
Google Display Network
- Billing
- GDN buys impressions across 2M+ publisher sites via a real-time auction. You can bid CPC or CPM depending on the campaign goal. CPCs are 4–7x lower than search, but conversion rates are also lower — it's a top-of-funnel channel, not a decision-point channel.
- Learning phase
- $30–75/day gets a display campaign to statistical signal, though retargeting audiences reach signal faster and are the recommended entry point for smaller budgets.
- Creative
- Responsive Display Ads: 15 images (1200×628 landscape, 1200×1200 square, 1200×1500 portrait), 5 logos, 5 short headlines (30ch), 5 long headlines (90ch), 5 descriptions (90ch). Google auto-assembles.
OTT (Over-The-Top)
- Billing
- OTT (Hulu, Peacock, Roku, Samsung TV+, etc.) is bought exclusively on CPM with 15- and 30-second video creative. Rates run $25–40 CPM — the highest of any digital channel — because inventory is finite premium video and the ROAS story is measured against linear TV, not against Facebook.
- Learning phase
- OTT has a real budget floor: most DSPs require $5K–10K/month minimum, and to reach reliable frequency in a metro DMA you need $15K+/month per platform.
- Creative
- 15s or 30s video, 1920×1080 (16:9), broadcast-quality mastering. No skippable formats. Most platforms require closed captions and mezzanine-file delivery through demand-side platforms.
Verdict
When to Use Each Platform
Choose Google Display Network when…
- You're targeting brand awareness
- You're targeting remarketing
- You're targeting visual products
- You want lower cost per thousand impressions ($3.33 vs $26.60)
Choose OTT (Over-The-Top) when…
- You're targeting brand awareness
- You're targeting premium audiences
- You're targeting video storytelling
FAQ
Related Comparisons
Is Google Display Network or OTT (Over-The-Top) cheaper?
Per thousand impressions, Google Display Network at $3.33 vs OTT (Over-The-Top) at $26.60. Per acquisition it depends on conversion rate; run the recommender above against your industry.
Can I run both on $5,000 a month?
Yes, but split unevenly toward whichever side has the conversion volume to exit learning. Splitting evenly below $5k usually starves both. Use the min. viable spend row in the table above as the floor for each side.
Do I need French-language ads to run in Quebec?
Effectively yes. Quebec's Charter of the French Language (strengthened by Bill 96) requires commercial advertising to Quebec audiences to be in French — or, if bilingual, with French "markedly predominant." Best practice is to run a dedicated FR-CA creative set geo-targeted to Quebec, separate from your EN-CA campaigns. Platform geo-targeting at the province level is sufficient for compliance and performance.
Are Canadian CPMs cheaper than US CPMs?
Generally yes, by roughly 5-10% on Meta and Google. The gap widens for English-Canada display inventory, which is part of the broader North American auction, and narrows for Quebec French inventory where competition is thinner but quality audiences smaller. CAD/USD exchange shifts can move the apparent gap meaningfully quarter to quarter.
What does CASL mean for Canadian email and lead-gen ads?
CASL requires express or implied consent before sending most commercial electronic messages to Canadian recipients, plus clear identification and an unsubscribe mechanism. For lead-gen ads driving to email nurture, your form must capture explicit, unbundled consent — not buried in T&Cs. Fines have reached seven figures, and the CRTC has been actively enforcing, so this is a real compliance line.