CTV & Connected TV advertising services put your business in the commercial breaks of the streaming shows your customers already watch — on Hulu, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, and Pluto TV. What used to require a five-figure TV budget is now auction-bought, household-targeted, and available to small businesses from around $2,000 per month. MobileRad plans, launches, and optimizes CTV campaigns end to end for small and mid-sized businesses across the United States.
Why CTV is the credibility channel for small business
Streaming has flipped television economics. US programmatic CTV spend crossed traditional linear TV in 2026, and premium streaming inventory that once demanded network-level budgets is now accessible programmatically at $25–$55 CPMs. For a small business, that means your ad runs in full-screen, sound-on, non-skippable placements — the same environment as national brands — but geo-targeted to only the metros, ZIP codes, or household types you actually serve.
CTV also solves the trust problem. A prospect who has seen your brand on their living-room TV treats your follow-up display and social ads differently. That is why we rarely run CTV alone: it works best as the credibility layer on top of a programmatic display and retargeting program or a small business video strategy.
Where your ads run: platform partners
We buy CTV inventory programmatically across the major streaming platforms and device ecosystems, matching the mix to your audience:
- Hulu — premium episodic content with strong 25–54 reach; see our Hulu advertising guide
- Roku — the largest US CTV device footprint, with granular geo and interest targeting
- Amazon Fire TV — retail-data-informed audiences, powerful for e-commerce and local retail
- Samsung TV Plus & LG Channels — built-in smart TV audiences with ACR viewing data
- Tubi & Pluto TV — free ad-supported streaming with efficient CPMs at the lower end of the range
Targeting options that broadcast TV never had
- Geography — metro, city, ZIP code, or radius around your locations
- Household — income bands, presence of children, homeowner status
- Interest & intent — viewing behavior, in-market segments, contextual show genres
- Retargeting — serve CTV ads to households whose devices visited your website, then close with display and social
- CRM match — onboard your customer list to reach lapsed buyers on the big screen
CTV advertising pricing: what to expect
Connected TV pricing is CPM-based. In 2026, expect $25–$55 CPMs depending on platform, geography, and how tightly you target. Here is how monthly budgets typically translate:
| Monthly budget | What it buys | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| $2,000–$3,000 | 40K–90K completed household impressions in 1–2 metros | Local service businesses testing CTV |
| $3,000–$6,000 | Multi-metro reach with retargeting layer and A/B creative | Established local/regional brands |
| $6,000–$12,000+ | Regional coverage, CRM onboarding, incrementality measurement | Multi-location and e-commerce brands |
We recommend a minimum of $2,000–$2,500/month on CTV inventory for at least 90 days — below that, household frequency is too thin to move brand metrics. Management is included in our programs; there are no long-term contracts.
How we run your CTV program
- Days 1–14: Strategy & setup — audience definition, platform mix, pixel and conversion tracking, creative spec review (we can adapt existing video or coordinate production)
- Days 15–45: Launch — campaigns live across chosen platforms with frequency caps set at the household level
- Days 46–90: Optimize — shift budget to winning platforms, dayparts, and creatives; layer retargeting; run the first incrementality read
- Ongoing — monthly reporting on household reach, completion rate (typically 95%+), site-visit lift, and cost per visit
CTV vs. traditional TV: the small business math
The difference between Connected TV and linear broadcast is not just targeting — it is waste. A traditional local TV buy charges you for every household in the DMA, whether or not they will ever be a customer. CTV charges only for the households you choose. The comparison below reflects typical 2026 costs for a single-metro campaign:
| Factor | Traditional local TV | Connected TV (CTV) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum realistic budget | $10,000–$25,000/month | $2,000–$2,500/month |
| Targeting | DMA-wide, daypart only | ZIP code, household income, interests, site visitors |
| Ad completion | Unmeasured | Measured; typically 95%+ completion |
| Attribution | Phone surveys, promo codes | Household-level site-visit and conversion tracking |
| Creative flexibility | One spot, long lead times | Swap creative mid-flight, A/B test versions |
| Contract | Quarterly/annual upfronts | Month-to-month, pause anytime |
For most small businesses, $3,000 on CTV delivers more qualified household reach than $15,000 on linear — and unlike linear, every dollar is measured.
Who CTV advertising works for
CTV is not a universal fit. Based on the campaigns we run, it performs strongest for:
- Home services (HVAC, roofing, remodeling) — high ticket sizes justify household-level frequency, and radius targeting matches service areas
- Healthcare and dental — trust-driven categories where the TV-screen halo effect measurably lifts booking rates
- Legal and financial services — long consideration cycles reward sustained brand presence
- Regional retail and restaurant groups — multi-location targeting with store-visit measurement
- E-commerce brands $1M+ — CTV prospecting feeding social and display retargeting pools
If your average sale is under $100 and purely impulse-driven, start with paid social instead — we will tell you that honestly on the first call.
Creative specs and production
CTV creative is simpler than most owners expect. Platforms accept 15- and 30-second spots at 1920×1080 (MP4/MOV, up to 30 Mbps). Non-skippable, sound-on, full-screen — which means one clear message, spoken and shown, with your brand visible in the first three seconds. We routinely adapt existing social video into compliant CTV spots, and for clients starting from zero we coordinate affordable production: a testimonial-style spot shot in an afternoon regularly outperforms polished agency work in response metrics.
One creative rule we enforce: refresh every 30–45 days. Household frequency caps of 3–5 exposures per week mean the same viewers will see your spot repeatedly — stale creative is the fastest way to waste a CTV budget.
The CTV + retargeting flywheel
The highest-performing structure we run pairs CTV with programmatic retargeting. CTV builds awareness at the household level; our pixel identifies devices in exposed households that visit your site; display and social retargeting then closes them at $1–$5 CPMs. Households exposed to both CTV and retargeting convert at rates 3–10x higher than cold prospecting — the same economics documented in our retargeting guide. This is why we scope CTV as part of a full-funnel program rather than a standalone channel.
What’s included in every MobileRad CTV program
- Dedicated strategist — one point of contact who knows your market, not a rotating account pool
- Platform and inventory management — DSP fees, PMP deal curation, and brand-safety vetting handled for you
- Pixel and conversion setup — household-level site-visit tracking configured before a dollar is spent
- Creative adaptation — resizing, trimming, and spec-compliance for every platform in your mix
- Monthly reporting — household reach, frequency, completion rate, site-visit lift, and cost per visit in plain English
- No lock-in — month-to-month engagement; you own every account, audience, and asset we build
Transparent reporting and measurable ROI are the core of how MobileRad works across every channel — from display to OTT to CTV. You will always know exactly where your budget went and what it returned.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CTV and OTT advertising?
OTT (over-the-top) refers to any video content streamed over the internet; CTV (Connected TV) is OTT watched specifically on a television screen — smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, and game consoles. Most small business campaigns focus on CTV because the living-room screen carries the credibility of traditional TV. Our OTT advertising agency guide covers the full landscape.
What is the minimum budget for CTV advertising?
Plan on $2,000–$2,500 per month minimum for 90 days. CTV CPMs run $25–$55, so smaller budgets cannot build the household frequency (typically 3–5 exposures) needed to drive response.
Do I need a professionally produced TV commercial?
No. A clean 15- or 30-second spot — even adapted from strong social video — meets platform specs (1920×1080, MP4). We help every client get creative CTV-ready as part of onboarding.
How do you measure CTV results?
Beyond completion rates, we track website visits from exposed households, conversion events, and matched-market lift where budget allows. You see everything in a monthly report tied to the metrics that matter for your business.
Ready to put your business on streaming TV?
Tell us your market and your goal, and we’ll come back with a platform mix, budget recommendation, and projected household reach — free, no obligation.
Ranjan Barman
Ranjan Barman is the founder of MobileRad, helping small businesses across the United States grow through programmatic, video, display, OTT/CTV, and retargeting advertising.