“What does CTV cost?” is the first question most firms ask. Four components: media, production, management, and minimums. Here’s what you’ll actually pay.
Media Costs (CPM)
CTV media is priced by CPM, or cost per thousand impressions.
| Inventory Type | CPM Range |
|---|---|
| Premium SVOD (Hulu, Peacock, Max) | $40-55 |
| Mid-tier streaming | $35-45 |
| FAST channels (Tubi, Pluto, Freevee) | $20-35 |
| Local/regional streaming | $25-40 |
| Sports streaming | $45-65 |
| Blended average | $35-45 |
Most law firm campaigns land at $35-45 CPM blended. Pay more for premium placement (Hulu during primetime), less for FAST channels (Tubi, Pluto). Industry range: $25-65.
Monthly Media Budgets by Market
What you need to spend on media (impressions) monthly:
Small Market (DMA 100+)
Population under 500K (Lincoln NE, Fargo ND, Amarillo TX)
| Level | Monthly Budget |
|---|---|
| Entry | $10-15K |
| Working | $15-25K |
| Strong | $25-40K |
Recommendation: $15-25K/month
Mid-Size Market (DMA 50-100)
Population 500K-1.5M (Louisville, Oklahoma City, Memphis)
| Level | Monthly Budget |
|---|---|
| Entry | $20-30K |
| Working | $30-50K |
| Strong | $50-75K |
Recommendation: $30-50K/month
Major Market (DMA 25-50)
Population 1.5M-3M (San Diego, Denver, St. Louis)
| Level | Monthly Budget |
|---|---|
| Entry | $35-50K |
| Working | $50-80K |
| Strong | $80-120K |
Recommendation: $50-80K/month
Top Market (DMA 1-25)
Population 3M+ (Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia)
| Level | Monthly Budget |
|---|---|
| Entry | $50-75K |
| Working | $75-150K |
| Strong | $150-300K+ |
Recommendation: $100K+/month
Creative Production Costs
You need broadcast-quality creative:
| Creative Element | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| 30-second spot | $15,000-35,000 |
| 15-second cutdown | $2,000-5,000 |
| Package (30s + 15s) | $18,000-40,000 |
| Creative refresh | $8,000-15,000 |
| Photography session | $2,000-5,000 |
First-year creative investment: $20,000-40,000
This is a one-time cost, not monthly. But don’t underspend here. Strong creative can cut your CPL in half. A $30K investment in great creative often saves $100K+ in wasted media.
Management and Platform Costs
CTV campaigns require management:
| Fee Type | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Platform/technology | 5-10% of media |
| Management/optimization | 10-15% of media |
| Total service fees | 15-25% of media |
Example: $50K monthly media = $7,500-12,500 in fees = $57,500-62,500 total monthly investment
Tracking and Technology
| Tool | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Call tracking | $200-500 |
| Attribution platform | Often included |
| CRM integration | Variable |
These costs are relatively minor compared to media but essential for measurement.
Total First-Year Investment Examples
Small Market Entry
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Creative production | $25,000 |
| Monthly media ($20K × 12) | $240,000 |
| Management (15%) | $36,000 |
| Call tracking | $3,600 |
| Total Year 1 | ~$305,000 |
Mid-Size Market Working Budget
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Creative production | $30,000 |
| Monthly media ($40K × 12) | $480,000 |
| Management (15%) | $72,000 |
| Call tracking | $4,200 |
| Creative refresh | $10,000 |
| Total Year 1 | ~$596,000 |
Major Market Strong Budget
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Creative production | $40,000 |
| Monthly media ($100K × 12) | $1,200,000 |
| Management (15%) | $180,000 |
| Call tracking | $6,000 |
| Creative refresh (×2) | $24,000 |
| Total Year 1 | ~$1,450,000 |
Cost Per Lead Benchmarks
What can you expect for CPL?
| Market Size | CPL Range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small DMA | $150-400 | $250 |
| Mid DMA | $200-500 | $350 |
| Major DMA | $300-700 | $450 |
| Top DMA | $400-1000+ | $600 |
Your CPL depends on creative quality, targeting precision, and landing page conversion. Firms with strong creative and tight targeting routinely beat these benchmarks by 30-40%.
Cost Per Case Benchmarks
The metric that matters most:
| Market Size | CPC Range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small DMA | $1,200-2,500 | $1,800 |
| Mid DMA | $1,500-3,500 | $2,400 |
| Major DMA | $2,000-5,000 | $3,200 |
| Top DMA | $3,000-8,000+ | $4,500 |
The math that matters: if your cost per case is 10-15% of average case value, you’re in healthy territory. At $3,200 cost per case and $30K average case value, you’re spending ~10%. Sustainable and scalable.
What Affects Your Costs
Option A
Option B
Minimum Viable Investment
There are floors below which CTV doesn’t make sense:
| Market | Minimum Monthly |
|---|---|
| Small | $12-15K |
| Mid | $25-30K |
| Major | $40-50K |
| Top | $60-75K |
Below these levels:
- Frequency too low for recall
- Data insufficient for optimization
- Attribution statistically unreliable
- Impact unmeasurable
If you can’t hit these minimums, invest elsewhere until you can commit meaningfully. Underfunded CTV wastes money. You get impressions without the frequency needed for recall.
ROI Context
CTV campaigns deliver 23% higher ROI than traditional TV. ROAS improves 24% after 90 days of consistent investment.
The costs are real. But so are the returns.
Related Reading
- CTV CPM Explained: Understanding pricing models
- Calculating CTV ROI: Measuring returns
- CTV Costs, Budgeting & ROI Guide: Complete budgeting resource
References
- Tatari. (2025). What is CTV: Understanding connected TV advertising. https://www.tatari.tv/insights/what-is-ctv-understanding-connected-tv-advertising-in-2025
- Southern California News Group. (2025). Connected TV marketing stats 2025. https://www.socalnewsgroup.com/2025/05/06/connected-tv-marketing-stats-2025/
- MNTN Research. (2023). Increased investment in CTV leads to better performance. https://research.mountain.com/trends/data-reveals-increased-investment-in-ctv-leads-to-better-performance/