Connected TV inventory costs $20 to $45 per thousand impressions bought programmatically and $35 to $65 for premium publishers bought direct, with live sports above that. Programmatic access through a DSP has no hard minimum beyond the DSP's own; direct deals with streaming services carry commitments that start in the tens of thousands.
What moves it
Price rises with publisher quality, targeting data, guaranteed delivery, and live content. Frequency management across platforms is the hidden cost: without it, a CTV plan pays to reach the same households repeatedly.
Connected TV benchmarks, September 17, 2026
| CPM | $20 to $45 programmatic; $35 to $65 for premium publisher direct and live sports higher still |
| Completion rate | 95 to 98 percent (non-skippable) |
Sources and every other channel: Connected TV benchmarks.
Run your own numbers with the Reach and frequency calculator.
Cite this page:
Agency Echelon. "How much does connected TV advertising cost?" Agency Echelon Reference, reviewed September 2026. https://agencyechelon.com/reference/questions/how-much-does-ctv-advertising-cost/