How Much Does CTV Advertising Cost for Law Firms?

Every law firm we talk to asks the same question first: What’s this going to cost?

It’s the right question, and the answer isn’t vague. CTV pricing is predictable once you understand the drivers. Here’s what you’ll actually pay and why it matters for your market. For the full cost breakdown, see our CTV advertising cost analysis for law firms.

Understanding CTV Pricing Tiers

Let me start with the baseline numbers. CPM stands for cost per thousand impressions, and it’s how all CTV inventory gets priced.

Your actual CTV CPM depends on which of three tiers you’re buying into.

Programmatic is where most law firms operate. You’re using a demand-side platform (The Trade Desk, Amazon DSP, MNTN) to access inventory across multiple streaming publishers. This tier runs $20-$40 CPM. It’s efficient, flexible, and you can pause or adjust tactics quickly.

Premium inventory costs more. When you buy directly from Hulu, Peacock, or major networks through private marketplace deals, expect $40-$60+ CPM. You’re paying for specific placement in branded content, higher audience quality, and better targeting controls. This tier appeals to firms wanting guaranteed inventory or specific network placement.

Long-tail FAST channels are cheaper. Platforms like Pluto TV and Tubi offer lower CPMs, often $15-$25. The tradeoff is less premium content environment and potentially lower-quality household data. Completion rates stay high, but audience demographics may be broader.

What Actually Drives CTV Pricing

Four variables move your CPM up or down. Understand these and you’ll understand your bill.

Inventory Quality

Premium publishers charge more than long-tail services. This reflects content quality, brand safety, and audience attention span. Hulu charges more than Tubi because viewership is more concentrated and household attention is higher. For law firms, paying more for premium inventory often makes sense because your message needs a quality environment.

Geographic Demand

New York and Los Angeles command the highest CPMs due to advertiser demand. Mid-market and secondary DMAs are less expensive. This actually works in your favor as a law firm. You’re buying local reach, not national inventory, so you benefit from lower rates in mid-markets while still reaching qualified prospects.

Targeting Precision

The narrower your audience, the higher the CPM. Broad demographic targeting (Adults 25-54) costs less than behavioral segments or first-party data audiences. This creates a real tradeoff: spend more on better targeting or spend less and waste money reaching the wrong people. We almost always recommend paying more for precision.

Deal Structure

• Open exchange buys are cheapest but offer less control over placement
• Private marketplace (PMP) deals run mid-range with better inventory guarantees
• Direct publisher buys are highest CPM with guaranteed placement and premium support

Most law firms operate in the PMP and open exchange tiers using programmatic platforms.

Programmatic vs Premium Inventory

These two approaches have different strengths. Here’s how they stack up:

Programmatic wins for law firms because it’s flexible and you can adjust based on performance. Premium direct buys make sense when you want guaranteed frequency in a specific network or have seasonal campaigns (major cases, off-season).

Monthly Budget Reality

CPM is only half the equation. You also need enough monthly budget to generate meaningful reach and frequency.

Minimum for competitive presence: $15,000-$25,000 per month in a single DMA. Below this, you won’t accumulate enough impressions for awareness and recall. Frequency matters in legal advertising. People need to see your name multiple times before they remember it when they need a lawyer.

For market dominance: $25,000-$50,000 per month lets you scale frequency and reach. This is where most successful PI firms operate. It signals serious intent to prospects and keeps you top-of-mind when someone has an accident.

Premium publisher direct: These deals often require $75,000+ monthly minimums. You’re buying guaranteed inventory with specific terms. This tier is usually overkill for law firms unless you’re running a large-scale brand campaign.

Here’s what you’re actually getting at each tier:

These budgets are CTV-only. Most law firms run CTV alongside search, local service ads, possibly social or traditional media. CTV becomes one component of your total marketing budget allocation.

CTV vs Broadcast Pricing

The CPM comparison looks bad for CTV at first glance. But the full story is different.

Broadcast TV CPMs ($10-$25) look cheaper. But you’re buying broad demographics (Adults 25-54) across the entire market. The waste is enormous. Maybe 15-20 percent of those impressions reach someone who could actually be your client.

CTV CPMs ($20-$40) cost more. But you’re targeting specific households based on behaviors, location, income, and other factors. You’re getting 60-70 percent efficient impressions rather than 15-20 percent.

The math is clearer when you calculate effective CPM per qualified impression:

• Broadcast: $15 CPM x 15% qualified = $100 effective cost per relevant impression
• CTV: $35 CPM x 60% qualified = $58 effective cost per relevant impression

You’re paying less to reach people who might actually need a lawyer.

CTV vs Other Digital Video

CTV also compares well to other digital video channels.

The completion rate advantage matters for law firm advertising. When you’re paying for an impression, you want someone to actually watch it. CTV guarantees that in a way social video doesn’t.

The Real Costs Beyond CPM

Budget for more than just media spend.

Creative production is required. Video spots typically cost $15,000-$40,000+ to produce professionally. If you don’t have spots already, this is a line item.

Agency or platform management costs 15-20 percent of media spend if you use an agency. This covers campaign setup, optimization, reporting, and creative adjustments.

Attribution and tracking adds cost depending on sophistication. Basic site analytics and call tracking are usually included in platform fees. Advanced attribution models may cost extra.

Creative refreshes every 3-6 months help maintain performance. Plan for periodic production costs, not just media spend.

Budget Framework for Law Firms

Here’s how to think about CTV investment:

Testing phase: $15,000/month for 3-6 months. You’re validating targeting, creative, and performance in your market. This is cheaper than broadcast or traditional media testing.

Sustainable campaign: $25,000-$35,000/month ongoing. Strong reach and frequency. Quarterly creative refreshes. Competitive presence in your market.

Market leadership: $50,000+/month with potential geographic expansion. Multiple DMAs, dominant frequency, significant competitive moat against other firms.

Most law firms find the $25,000-$35,000/month range is the sweet spot. It’s significant enough to drive results but not so large that performance pressure becomes unbearable.

Proprietary Pricing Data

We track CTV spending across all 210 DMAs and $150M+ in monthly advertising investment. From that data, competitive law firms are spending:

• Mid-market DMAs (250K-500K population): $15,000-$25,000/month
• Secondary markets (500K-1M population): $20,000-$40,000/month
• Major metros (1M+ population): $30,000-$75,000+/month

These numbers shift based on market competition, case intake capacity, and firm growth stage. Firms with national reach often spend more. Newer firms might start lower. The pattern is consistent: competitive presence requires meaningful monthly investment.

What Questions Should You Ask

Before committing to a CTV budget, clarify these points:

What’s included in the CPM. Does it include DSP fees, creative hosting, reporting. Different platforms bundle things differently.

Minimum commitments and contract length. Some platforms require 3-month or longer commitments. Others are month-to-month.

Creative requirements. Do you need 15-second, 30-second, or multiple lengths. Will they help produce or just distribute.

Reporting and optimization. What metrics do they track. How often do you review performance. Who manages optimization.

Contract flexibility. Can you pause campaigns. Can you adjust geographic targeting or audience segments. Can you reduce budget mid-month if needed.

These details affect your real cost and should influence platform selection.

The Value Proposition

CTV isn’t cheap. But it’s often the most efficient way to reach local audiences at scale.

Here’s what you get for that investment:

• Targeted reach to households most likely to need legal services
• 90%+ completion rates, meaning your message actually gets watched
• Measurable results through call tracking and site analytics
• Flexibility to adjust quickly based on performance
• Brand safety in streaming content environment
• Competitive advantage in mid-market DMAs where fewer firms use CTV

The firms getting strong ROI from CTV aren’t necessarily spending the most. They’re spending smart, with realistic budgets, targeting precision, and creative that converts.

References

1. IAB. 2025 Digital Video Advertising Spend Report. 2025.
2. eMarketer. US Connected TV Advertising 2025. 2025.
3. MNTN Research. Increased Investment in CTV Leads to Better Performance. 2023.
4. IAB and Innovid. CTV Takes Center Stage: Video Benchmarks. 2022.
5. Nielsen. The Gauge: Streaming Share of TV Viewing. 2025.