TUNING NOTES · PRICING
CTV minimums and fees: what each ad platform publishes
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Entry terms for streaming TV ad platforms range from a stated minimum per campaign to no stated minimum at all, and fees are rarely published in full. This note collects what each platform's own pages say.
By The Tuning Desk · CTV Ad Finder · Published 2026-10-14
Why are CTV entry terms hard to compare?
Platforms describe their terms in different units and with different words. One states a minimum per campaign, another gives budget guidance for first-time advertisers, a third publishes no minimum for self-serve buying but a high minimum for its managed service, and some publish nothing. Fees are harder still: platform fees, data fees, managed-service fees and measurement fees are often discussed in sales conversations rather than on public pages. Comparing headline figures without reading the exact wording leads to wrong conclusions.
What does each platform publish?
Scroll the table sideways
| Platform | Entry terms | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon DSP (now part of Amazon Ads Agent) | "DVA+ uses cost per mille (CPM) billing with no minimum spend." Amazon Ads' About us FAQ says managed-service campaigns run through an account executive "typically require a minimum spend of $50,000 (US)". Source: Amazon Ads: About us (FAQ) | CPM billing for DVA+. A platform fee percentage is not stated on the pages we read. |
| Disney Campaign Manager (formerly Hulu Ad Manager) | "a low minimum spend of $500 per campaign". | "No hidden fees and no subscription, setup, or installation fees. Billing starts after your Ad starts running." A CPM rate is not stated on the FAQ. |
| MNTN | "No upfront commitments. No minimums." The enterprise page describes "fully at-will buying". Source: MNTN homepage | No public CPM or fee schedule on the homepage. Its impression calculator defaults to a $5K monthly budget (slider $5K to $1M) and shows estimated impressions only. Source: MNTN homepage |
| Roku Ads Manager | Guidance, not a stated hard minimum: "get started with existing creative and as little as $500", and $500–$1,000 is enough to get a campaign live for most first-time advertisers, per Roku's guide dated February 25, 2026. Source: Roku Ads: how much does it cost to advertise on Roku | "CPM pricing model"; "Pricing is dynamic"; no upfront payment: "Pay as your campaign delivers". Source: Roku Ads: how much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
| StackAdapt | A minimum budget is not stated. The plans FAQ says "Programmatic ad campaigns perform best when they have enough budget". Source: StackAdapt plans and packages | No prices are shown on the plans page. The FAQ says "no hidden tech fees". Source: StackAdapt plans and packages |
| Tatari | "Tatari supports flexible minimums"; no dollar minimum is stated. | "CPM, CPA, flexible models" and "Transparent CPMs and cost visibility"; no public rate card. |
| The Trade Desk | No public pricing or minimum on the pages we read. Source: The Trade Desk homepage | Fees are not stated on the pages we read. |
| tvScientific (tvScientific by Pinterest) | Minimum spend, CPM and fees are not stated on the homepage, inventory or measurement pages. Source: tvScientific homepage | "Guaranteed Outcomes": "only pay when you get results", an outcome-based option. Source: tvScientific homepage |
| Universal Ads | Minimum spend and CPM are not stated on the homepage. Source: Universal Ads homepage | "no hidden fees". Rates are not stated on the homepage. Source: Universal Ads homepage |
| Vibe (vibe.co) | Vibe's pages describe both a $50 per day figure and no minimums; confirm current terms with Vibe. Source: Vibe pricing page | The pricing page lists "No Commitment" and payment by "Credit Card or Wire Payment". Its budget simulator shows an estimated CPM range of $15–$35 (an estimate, not a rate card). Platform or management fees are not stated on the pricing page. Source: Vibe pricing page |
A few examples show the range. Disney Campaign Manager's FAQ states a minimum spend of $500 per campaign and no subscription, setup or installation fees. Roku's cost guide, dated February 25, 2026, says advertisers can get started with as little as $500 and frames $500 to $1,000 as enough for most first-time campaigns; it is guidance rather than a stated minimum. Amazon's page says DVA+ uses CPM billing with no minimum spend, while its About us FAQ says managed-service campaigns through an account executive typically require a minimum of $50,000 in the US. MNTN's homepage states no upfront commitments and no minimums. Tatari states that it supports flexible minimums without naming a figure.
Source: Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started
Source: Roku Ads: how much does it cost to advertise on Roku
Source: Amazon Ads: display, video and audio (DVA+)
Source: Amazon Ads: About us (FAQ)
Source: MNTN homepage
Vibe's pages describe both a $50 per day figure and no minimums; confirm current terms with Vibe. Its pricing page also lists No Commitment and payment by credit card or wire.
Source: Vibe pricing page
Source: Vibe MCP page
What is usually not published?
On the pages we read, platform or management fee percentages were not published by any of the 10 platforms. StackAdapt's plans page shows plan names and payment methods but no prices. The Trade Desk's pages lead to a contact form. tvScientific's pages describe an outcome-based option but not a minimum or CPM. That does not mean the fees are high or low; it means you need to ask.
Source: StackAdapt plans and packages
Source: The Trade Desk homepage
Source: tvScientific homepage
Which questions get you a comparable number?
- What is the minimum per campaign, per month or per contract, and for how long?
- Which fees apply on top of media, as a percentage or a fixed amount?
- Are data, measurement and creative fees included or extra?
- How are fees shown on invoices?
- What happens to unspent budget at the end of a pilot?
With those answers you can compute the full cost of the same pilot on each shortlisted platform. Then compare that cost with what each platform's measurement can prove, because a low-cost pilot that cannot show incremental results saves nothing.
Do lower minimums mean a better fit?
Not on their own. A low minimum makes a first test easier to approve, and no-commitment terms let you stop if results disappoint. But the budget a test needs is set by your measurement design, not by the platform's minimum. Size the pilot for a clean read first, then check which platforms' terms fit that budget.
It is also worth separating the minimum from the commitment. A platform can state no minimum and still ask for a contract, or state a minimum per campaign while letting you stop at any time. For a pilot, the commitment is often the more important term: it decides what you owe if the test does not work. Read both, and ask for both in writing.
Payment terms belong in the same conversation. Credit card payment suits small tests; invoicing, wire transfer and net terms suit larger budgets and procurement teams. Several platforms list which methods they accept, and some tie payment terms to plan levels. If your finance team needs invoices or purchase orders, check this before the pilot rather than after the first charge.
Last, write down the date you read each platform's terms. Pricing pages change, and a figure quoted in a planning deck months later should carry its date.
None of this makes one platform's terms right or wrong. It makes them comparable, which is what a buying decision needs.