OTT (Over-The-Top) is bought on CPM only, averaging $28.00. Pre-Roll Video is bought on CPM only, averaging $15.00. Analysis for Education in 2026.
Connected TV and streaming platforms (Hulu, Roku, etc.)
Video ads that play before online content
The auction, the creative, the budget floor — the three things you actually need to know before picking a platform.
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.
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.
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.
Pre-roll (the video ad before online video content, non-YouTube) is CPM-priced at $12–20, sold through DSPs against a video inventory pool separate from social. Skippable and non-skippable formats coexist; non-skippable commands a 20–30% CPM premium.
15s (most common), 6s bumper, or 30s. 1920×1080 16:9, 24 or 30fps, H.264. Captions and audio-off usability increasingly required as autoplay-muted becomes default.
$3K–5K/month for standalone pre-roll; often bundled with programmatic display or OTT in a single video-inclusive DSP buy.