The platforms side by side
| Platform | How you buy | Minimum | Where the ads run | Targeting | CPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Ads (Comcast) | Self-serve | From $100, daily or total budget, no contract or agency fee | NBCUniversal and Peacock, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Roku, A+E, AMC, DirecTV, TelevisaUnivision and others | ZIP code, DMA, state; demographics; customer lists | About $8 to $45, by inventory and audience12 |
| Roku Ads Manager | Self-serve | $500 lifetime budget per campaign | The Roku Channel and channels on Roku devices | State, ZIP code or DMA (one type per campaign); audience segments | Dynamic, set by bid34 |
| Disney Campaign Manager | Self-serve | $500 per campaign, no setup or subscription fees | Hulu and Disney+ | Location, demographics, interests | Not published5 |
| Paramount Ads Manager | Self-serve | $500 to $260,000 per campaign | Paramount+, CBS, Pluto TV and MTV | Location and audience targeting, retargeting | From $7 on its own campaigns; standard inventory generally $20 to $4067 |
| Vibe | Self-serve | From $50 a day, no commitment | Hundreds of streaming apps and channels across major services | Geography, interests, demographics, retargeting, email lists | $15 to $35 in its simulator8 |
| MNTN | Self-serve | “No minimums,” cancel anytime, per its site; third parties report higher practical starting budgets | Premium streaming inventory | Audience and website retargeting | Not published9 |
| YouTube on TV screens (Google Ads) | Self-serve | No stated minimum; uses a Google Ads budget | YouTube on smart TVs and streaming devices | Radius, city, postal codes where available; Google audiences | Varies by bid10 |
| Amazon (Streaming TV ads and Amazon DSP) | Self-serve or managed | Amazon's page lists “no minimum spend requirement” and also a $10K recommended minimum for some self-service packages and $50K for managed | Prime Video, Thursday Night Football, Fire TV, Twitch and third-party apps; Roku and Netflix inventory through Amazon DSP | Amazon shopping and in-market auto signals, ZIP codes | Not published11 |
| Netflix (through a DSP) | Through a demand-side platform | No self-serve tool; The Trade Desk dropped spend minimums on its Netflix marketplace in July 2026 | Netflix ad-supported plan | Demographics, geography, genre (targeting adds to the price) | Averages around $30, and buyers may pay up to 40% above floor to add targeting121314 |
| Local broadcaster and cable streaming | Managed, through a local rep | Not published; set by the rep | Local station and cable streaming inventory, often powered by Madhive or Amazon inventory | Down to ZIP code, county or district; Polk auto audiences on some | Not published1516 |
Minimums and prices were checked on each platform's own pages on November 6, 2026, except where the source says otherwise. Platforms change terms often; confirm at signup.
Self-serve platforms: the cheapest way in
Universal Ads is the widest single self-serve door. One account reaches NBCUniversal and Peacock, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Roku and others, by ZIP code, from $100, with no contract, upfront commitment or agency fee.12 Its published guidance put streaming and CTV rates between about $8 and $45 CPM as of October 2026.1
Roku Ads Manager requires a lifetime budget of $500 or more per campaign and targets by state, ZIP code or DMA, one location type per campaign.34 Disney Campaign Manager puts a dealer on Hulu and Disney+ from $500 per campaign with no setup or subscription fees.5 Paramount Ads Manager runs ads on Paramount+, CBS, Pluto TV and MTV with campaign budgets from $500 to $260,000, and says there are no platform fees, contracts or agency retainers.67
Vibe starts at $50 a day with no commitment and shows CPMs of $15 to $35 in its simulator.8 MNTN advertises no minimums and month-to-month terms.9 YouTube can be bought for TV screens inside a Google Ads account, with no stated minimum.10
When a dealer needs a DSP: Netflix and Amazon
Netflix has no self-serve tool. Advertisers buy it directly through Netflix (usually larger brands), through an agency, or through demand-side platforms such as The Trade Desk, Google's DV360, Yahoo DSP and Amazon DSP.12 In July 2026 The Trade Desk dropped spend minimums on its Netflix marketplace, which makes Netflix reachable for smaller buyers that have a DSP seat or a reseller.13 Netflix averages around a $30 CPM, and buyers may pay up to 40% above the floor to add demographic, geographic or genre targeting.14
Amazon sells streaming TV across Prime Video, Thursday Night Football, Fire TV, Twitch and third-party apps. Its product page lists both “no minimum spend requirement” and a $10K recommended campaign minimum for some self-service packages, with $50K for managed service, so get the terms for your account in writing.11
Local station and cable reps
Many local broadcasters and cable companies now sell streaming TV alongside their linear spots. Several station groups run on Madhive, whose automotive marketplace adds S&P Global Mobility (Polk) audiences and targets down to the ZIP code, county or district.15 Cable companies such as Spectrum Reach sell CTV through local reps.16 These routes come with a rep who builds the plan, which helps a busy store, but minimums and CPMs are quoted case by case and the account usually sits with the seller.
How to choose
- Start where your ZIP codes are. Ask each platform for a reach estimate on your exact ZIP list before you pay; a cheap CPM that cannot find your households is not cheap.
- Cover the big apps with two or three accounts, not ten. Universal Ads plus Disney plus Roku covers Peacock, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Hulu, Disney+ and the Roku Channel.
- Keep the accounts in the dealership's name, so you can see every impression and keep the history if you change who runs it.
- Cap frequency. Each platform caps only its own impressions, so set weekly caps on every account and watch the combined frequency.
- Add a DSP later, when the self-serve tests work and the store wants Netflix, Amazon audiences or one cross-app frequency cap.
Spotify is worth a note: its Ads Manager starts at 250 in local currency per campaign, but it is audio, not television, so treat it as a companion to the TV flight.17