How Much Does CTV Advertising Cost?
CTV campaigns at Floodlight start at $3,500. Compare VOD and premium live TV CPMs, see sample media budgets and plan what your campaign needs.
Floodlight’s CTV campaigns start at $3,500. The right budget depends on your market, audience, inventory, video requirements and campaign length. That starting point is a campaign minimum, not a universal CTV rate.
CTV advertising cost has 2 parts to understand: the price of delivering ads and the full cost of running the campaign. A CPM tells you what 1,000 impressions cost. It does not tell you how much of the total budget goes toward media, what creative work is needed or whether the campaign can answer your business question.
Before comparing quotes, make sure you are comparing the same audience, geography, inventory and scope. A lower CPM can buy more impressions while still being the wrong fit for the campaign.
Live TV vs. VOD: how CTV CPMs compare
For the terminology behind the budget, start with CTV vs. OTT explained. Once the budget is scoped, use our first CTV campaign checklist to plan assets, approvals and launch requirements.
CPM means cost per 1,000 ad impressions. Split the plan by viewing environment before choosing a rate assumption. Video on demand (VOD) and premium live programming should have separate budget lines.
| CTV inventory | CPM planning range | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Video on demand (VOD) | $20-$40 | A working range for ad-supported shows and movies watched on demand. Publisher, audience and buying terms can move the quote outside this range. |
| Premium live TV, especially live sports | $40-$80+ | A higher planning range for scarce live programming. Confirm the event, league or programming package, availability and any buying minimum before budgeting. |
The $20-$40 range is more closely aligned with VOD planning. For context, StackAdapt’s broader CTV guide publishes a $20-$40 typical CPM range and notes that premium live sports and tentpole programming can cost more. Vibe’s published TV pricing guide lists live sports streaming at $40-$80+ CPM.
These are planning references, not Floodlight quotes. The live range is for premium programming, especially sports; it is not a fixed price for every live news or entertainment placement. Some live and VOD inventory can overlap in price.
Here, live TV means programming streamed as it happens on a connected television, rather than a traditional broadcast or cable spot. A scheduled FAST channel showing library programs is also different from a live game or event. Confirm what the inventory actually contains.
The basic calculation is:
Media cost = impressions / 1,000 x CPM
At an assumed $30 VOD CPM, 100,000 impressions would cost $3,000 in media. At an assumed $60 premium live CPM, the same number of impressions would cost $6,000. Both calculations exclude costs outside the quoted media CPM.
What changes the price of a CTV campaign?
Start with the viewing environment. The publisher, content, timing and buying arrangement affect what inventory costs. Live sports or another specific programming requirement can produce a different quote from a broader streaming buy. StackAdapt identifies audience, inventory quality, geography, seasonality and buying method as pricing factors.
Then look at the audience. A local campaign needs to reach people who can actually become customers. Adding more restrictions can reduce the inventory available. Review the forecast before combining a small service area with a narrow audience and a short campaign.
Creative also belongs in the budget discussion. An existing commercial may be usable, may need changes or may not meet the selected inventory specifications. Confirm the required video length, format, approvals and any adaptation or production costs before booking media.
If you are still comparing channels, our guide to CTV and traditional TV advertising explains the differences in buying and delivery.
What should your CTV budget include?
Ask for a proposal that makes the scope clear. These are the main items to review:
| Budget item | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Media | Inventory, audience, geography, planned delivery and the basis of the quoted CPM. |
| Campaign management | Planning, setup, pacing, optimization and reporting responsibilities, plus how those services are priced. |
| Creative | Whether approved video is ready to use, needs adaptation or requires new production. |
| Data and measurement | Any separately charged audience data, tracking setup, measurement products or studies. |
| Campaign dates | The start and end dates, spending limits and whether any quoted amount recurs. |
For Floodlight, the CTV campaign minimum is $3,500. The proposal should establish the specific scope and cost allocation. Do not treat the full campaign amount as media spend unless the quote explicitly defines it that way.
Sample VOD and live TV media budgets
The tables below separate VOD from premium live programming. These are arithmetic examples using assumed CPMs, not quotes, package prices or delivery guarantees.
VOD examples: $20-$40 CPM
| Planned impressions | At $20 CPM | At $30 CPM | At $40 CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 |
| 100,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| 200,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $8,000 |
Premium live TV examples: $40-$80+ CPM
| Planned impressions | At $40 CPM | At $60 CPM | At $80 CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| 100,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $8,000 |
| 200,000 | $8,000 | $12,000 | $16,000 |
Premium events can exceed $80 CPM. The $3,500 Floodlight campaign minimum does not guarantee access to a particular live event or publisher package. Some plans will need a higher budget.
All amounts in the tables are media costs only. An example below $3,500 is not a Floodlight campaign offer. Management, production and other scoped costs must be accounted for when building the total campaign budget.
Impressions also differ from unique households. If the same household receives an ad more than once, those impressions do not all represent new households reached. Ask to see the estimated reach and frequency alongside the impression plan.
What should a starting campaign help you learn?
A $3,500 minimum does not establish the right budget for every business. Start with 1 defined market, a clear audience and a useful question. For example: can the proposed inventory reach enough eligible households at a reasonable frequency to support the planned campaign?
Agree on the measurement before launch. Impressions, reach, frequency and video completions describe delivery. Website activity, leads and sales add business context where the setup supports that reporting.
The IAB’s CTV measurement guide identifies inconsistent signals and platform fragmentation as measurement challenges. Ask what the reporting can actually establish. A completed video does not prove attention, and an attributed conversion does not by itself prove the ad caused an additional sale.
Our explanation of last-click attribution for CTV and streaming audio covers why a TV campaign needs a measurement plan beyond clicks. A small test can inform a next decision without being large enough to support a reliable lift study or a firm return-on-spend conclusion.
CTV advertising cost FAQs
What is Floodlight’s minimum CTV campaign budget?
Floodlight’s CTV campaigns start at $3,500. The proposal defines the campaign dates, scope, media allocation and any additional work.
Is $3,500 a monthly minimum?
The $3,500 starting point is a campaign minimum. The campaign schedule and any recurring commitment are defined in the proposal.
Does the minimum include video production?
Production needs to be scoped for the campaign. Confirm whether you can use an existing video, what changes it needs and how any new production is priced.
How many impressions will $3,500 buy?
That depends on how much of the campaign budget is allocated to media and the quoted CPM. Use the media allocation, rather than the total campaign amount, to calculate planned impressions.
Why can live TV cost more than VOD?
Premium live programs, especially sports, can have limited ad supply and concentrated demand. Use a separate planning assumption for those placements and confirm the actual inventory quote. Other live programming may have different pricing, so a live label alone does not establish its value.
Can a local business advertise on CTV?
A local business can consider CTV when the available inventory, audience scale and budget fit its service area. A tightly defined audience still needs enough delivery to make the campaign useful.
Plan a CTV campaign around your business
Bring your service area, campaign goal, budget, timing and any existing video. Floodlight can review those inputs and recommend a plan, with CTV campaigns starting at $3,500.
See our CTV advertising services or talk with Floodlight about your campaign.