How to Buy OTT Advertising: A Step

Your OTT Advertising Roadmap

Where to buy OTT advertising inventory

When skincare brand GlowBot tried shifting 20% of their TV budget to OTT, their media buyer spent weeks contacting individual platforms. "We didn't realize Hulu and Roku required separate negotiations," said CMO Lisa Yang.

According to Magna Global 2024, programmatic platforms now transact 63% of OTT ads, simplifying access to multiple publishers.

1. Register on a DSP like The Trade Desk or Google DV360
2. Connect your ad server (Campaign Manager 360 preferred)
3. Select "CTV/OTT" inventory filters when setting up campaigns

Pro Tip: Compare OTT platform demographics before buying to match your audience.

How to target audiences in OTT advertising

Meal kit service GreenChef boosted conversions 37% after refining their OTT targeting. Initially, they blanketed all cooking show viewers, missing their core audience of time-poor professionals.

eMarketer's 2024 study shows targeted OTT campaigns achieve 2.3x higher CTR than broad placements.

1. Upload 1st-party customer lists to your DSP
2. Layer on 3rd-party segments (e.g. "Busy Professionals" from Acxiom)
3. Exclude existing customers with CRM suppression lists

OTT advertising costs and budgeting

Fitness app STRONG wasted $12,000 testing $25 CPM premium slots before discovering mid-tier inventory performed equally well for their demo at $18 CPM.

TubeMogul's 2024 benchmarks show OTT CPMs range from $15-$40 depending on:

1. Targeting specificity (broad: $15-25, hyper-targeted: $30-40)
2. Ad length (15-sec: +12% premium over 30-sec)
3. Seasonality (Q4 costs spike 22% average)

Optimization Checklist

1. Always A/B test creative lengths (6-sec vs 15-sec)
2. Frequency cap at 3 impressions/user/week
3. Coordinate with social retargeting
4. Verify viewability with Moat or IAS
5. Negotiate bonus impressions for upfront buys

FAQ

Q: Can I buy OTT ads directly from Netflix?
A: No - Netflix ads are only available through Microsoft's platform. Most OTT inventory is purchased via DSPs.

Q: What's the minimum budget for testing?
A: $5,000 can test 2-3 platforms. Programmatic platforms often have $1,000 minimums.

Key Takeaways

Now that you know how to buy OTT advertising, remember: start small with targeted tests, leverage programmatic efficiency, and always track incrementality against other channels.