Medium cost · Video Last updated July 1, 2026

Pre-Roll Video Benchmarks 2026

Video ads that play before online content

Avg. CPM
$15.00
Cost per 1,000 impressions
How to read this page: These benchmarks are weighted averages from multiple data sources (see /benchmarks for the full data dictionary). Your actual Pre-Roll Video costs will vary by industry, audience size, geography, ad quality score, and seasonality. Use the table below to find figures specific to your industry, and the calculators near the bottom to plan against your own targets.
Typical campaign math

For a monthly budget on Pre-Roll Video:

Estimated impressions at $15.00 average CPM

Rough top-line math using platform averages. Real campaigns will vary with targeting, creative, and industry — see the by-industry table below for refined figures.

Compare Pre-Roll Video with Other Platforms

Side-by-side cost and use-case breakdowns against the most common alternatives.

By industry, at a glance

Pre-Roll Video across 8 industries

Estimated CPM for each industry, derived by scaling the platform average by industry-level cost multipliers. Lower is better.

Cheapest industry: Retail · $8.57 CPM Most expensive: Finance · $21.14 CPM

Pre-Roll Video Benchmarks by Industry

Per-industry estimates derived by scaling Pre-Roll Video's baseline costs by each industry's multiplier relative to the cross-industry average. Click any industry to see the full side-by-side comparison.

Industry Est. CPM Industry CPA
E-commerce $10.29 $48.00 Details
B2B $18.29 $93.69 Details
Education $14.29 $77.48 Details
Finance $21.14 $74.44 Details
Healthcare $16.57 $67.36 Details
Retail $8.57 $44.26 Details
Tech/SaaS $18.86 $93.69 Details
Real Estate $12.00 $102.51 Details

Estimates derived from baseline platform cost × (industry metric ÷ cross-industry average). For exact figures from your account, run a search query report or campaign benchmark export.

How Pre-Roll Video actually works

The auction, the creative, the budget floor — the three things you actually need to know before picking a platform.

Pre-Roll Video
How it bills

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 at a glance

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.

Min. spend for signal

$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

Free, no-signup tools to model your Pre-Roll Video campaigns.

Related Articles on Pre-Roll Video

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

Explore More