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Pre-Roll Video Medium cost · Video Updated 2026-07-01

Pre-Roll Video benchmarks, 2026

Video ads that play before online content — $15.00 per thousand — with Video content and Brand storytelling pulling the strongest returns.

Avg. CPM$15.00Cost per 1,000 impressions
Board rank · CPM6of 9Cheaper than 3 platforms
Strongest in Video content
Brand storytelling Best-fit use cases from the dataset
How to read this page Figures are weighted medians from ten named sources (see the data dictionary). Your Pre-Roll Video costs will move with industry, audience size, geography, creative quality and season. Use the industry table to find your lane, and the calculators to plan against your own targets.
Typical campaign math

With $ a month on Pre-Roll Video, you'd buy roughly…

At the medians above. Change the budget; the figures update. For a finer rate, use the table below or the CPM calculator.

Estimated impressions — at $15.00 average CPM
Compare

Pre-Roll Video against the alternatives

All 9,750 comparisons →
Pre-Roll Video vs Google Display Network CPM $15.00 vs $3.50 +329% Display advertising across Google's network of partner sites Pre-Roll Video vs OTT (Over-The-Top) CPM $15.00 vs $28.00 -46% Connected TV and streaming platforms (Hulu, Roku, etc.) Pre-Roll Video vs Streaming Audio CPM $15.00 vs $18.00 -17% Spotify, Pandora, and other audio streaming platforms Pre-Roll Video vs Programmatic Display CPM $15.00 vs $2.75 +445% Automated display ad buying across multiple exchanges Pre-Roll Video vs Meta Ads CPM $15.00 vs $7.80 +92% Facebook and Instagram advertising - highly targetable social ads Pre-Roll Video vs TikTok Ads CPM $15.00 vs $9.00 +67% Short-form video advertising on TikTok
By industry

Pre-Roll Video costs by industry

Estimated by scaling Pre-Roll Video's baseline by each industry's cost multiplier. Sorted by CPM; the row in amber is the cheapest lane.

$0 $10.57 $21.14
Industry Est. CPM Industry CPA
Retail $8.57 $44.26 →
E-commerce $10.29 $48.00 →
Real Estate $12.00 $102.51 →
Education $14.29 $77.48 →
Healthcare $16.57 $67.36 →
B2B $18.29 $93.69 →
Tech/SaaS $18.86 $93.69 →
Finance $21.14 $74.44 →
Est. = platform baseline × (industry metric ÷ cross-industry average). Industry CPA is cross-platform. USD, Q3 2026. Method: estimated.
Under the hood

How Pre-Roll Video actually bills you

Billing

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.

Creative

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.

Minimum viable spend

$3K–5K/month for standalone pre-roll; often bundled with programmatic display or OTT in a single video-inclusive DSP buy.

Calculators for Pre-Roll Video

Turn the benchmark into a plan

ROASROAS calculator→ CPMCPM calculator→ CPACPA calculator→ BE·RBreak-even ROAS→
FAQ

Common questions

What is the average CPM on Pre-Roll Video?
The current average CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) on Pre-Roll Video is $15.00, based on the most recent benchmark dataset (updated July 2026). CPM tends to be higher for narrow targeting and premium placements; broader campaigns generally see lower CPMs.
Is Pre-Roll Video more expensive than Streaming Audio?
On a CPM basis, Pre-Roll Video is the lower-cost option of the two, with a difference of roughly 17%. Cost shouldn't be the only factor though — audience fit, conversion intent, and creative format matter just as much. Use our side-by-side comparison to weigh the trade-offs.
Who is Pre-Roll Video best for?
Pre-Roll Video is typically a strong fit for: Video content, Brand storytelling, Engagement. While the platform isn't in the cross-industry top-three for any single vertical, it's a common complement to higher-intent channels and works well when the use case matches the strengths listed above.
How often is Pre-Roll Video benchmark data updated?
Benchmark data on this page is refreshed quarterly. The current dataset was last updated on July 1, 2026. The next scheduled refresh is October 1, 2026.