How does CTV advertising pricing work?

The four terms to separate

CTV pricing pages mix four different things. Read them one at a time.

1. Pricing model. How media is charged. CPM (cost per thousand impressions) is the most common. Some platforms offer outcome-based options.
2. Minimum spend. The smallest budget the platform accepts, per day, per campaign or per month.
3. Fees. Platform, data or management fees on top of media.
4. Commitment. Whether you sign a contract for a period or can stop at any time.

What platforms publish

The platforms in our ranking published these terms on their own pages:

• Disney Campaign Manager states "a low minimum spend of $500 per campaign" and "No hidden fees and no subscription, setup, or installation fees". Billing starts after the ad starts running. A CPM is not stated.
• Amazon (DVA+) states "DVA+ uses cost per mille (CPM) billing with no minimum spend". Managed service typically requires $50,000 (US). A platform fee is not stated.
• Roku's cost guide describes a CPM model where "Pricing is dynamic", payment as the campaign delivers, and "$500–$1,000" as enough for most first campaigns.
• MNTN states "No upfront commitments. No minimums." It does not publish a CPM or fee schedule.
• Vibe's pages describe both a $50 per day figure and no minimums; confirm current terms with Vibe. The pricing page states "No Commitment", and its simulator shows an estimated CPM of $15–$35. Platform or management fees are not published.
• tvScientific publishes a "Guaranteed Outcomes" option ("only pay when you get results"). Minimums, CPM and fees are not stated on the pages we read.
• Tatari states "flexible minimums" and "CPM, CPA, flexible models", with no public rate card.
• StackAdapt publishes plan tiers and payment terms and says there are "no hidden tech fees", but no prices.

Why a CPM alone does not tell you the cost of a result

A low CPM buys more impressions, but proof depends on what those impressions do. Two campaigns with the same CPM can produce very different cost per visit or cost per acquisition depending on targeting, frequency and creative. That is why our ranking weights outcome measurement and incrementality above pricing clarity.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Is the quoted CPM an estimate, a floor or a fixed rate?
• Are data, platform or management fees charged on top of media? As a percentage or a flat amount?
• Is the minimum per day, per campaign or per month, and does it change with managed service?
• Can I pause or stop without a penalty?
• Is an incrementality or holdout test included, and does it use part of my budget for the control group?

How pricing clarity is scored

Pricing and commitment clarity carries 10% of our weight. A platform scores higher when its pages state the minimum, the model, the fees and the commitment, and state them consistently across pages. When two pages from the same vendor disagree, we score that as less clear and quote both.