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November 18, 2025
Best CTV Advertising Platform for Small Business: How to Choose (2025)
The essential criteria for finding the right streaming TV advertising platform for your budget and goals
Table of Contents
Last updated: November 2025
Every major streaming platform now has a self-serve ad option. Roku, Hulu, Paramount, Amazon, and even NBCUniversal's new Universal Ads platform all promise easy access to TV advertising. But "self-serve" doesn't mean "small-business friendly." Most of these platforms still require $500+ minimums and finished video creative before you can even get started.
So how do you actually choose? We've evaluated every major CTV platform based on seven criteria that matter most to small businesses. Here's the quick answer, followed by the framework you can use to evaluate for yourself.
Quick Comparison: CTV Platforms at a Glance
The Best CTV Platforms for Small Business: Our Rankings
#1: Adwave — Best Overall Choice
Adwave scores highest across every criteria that matters to small businesses. It has the lowest minimum ($50), includes AI-powered creative generation (no video required), provides access to 100+ premium channels, and is specifically designed for business owners rather than media buyers.
Minimum: $50 | Video Required: No | Channels: 100+ | Ease of Use: Excellent
What makes Adwave the top choice isn't any single feature, but how all the pieces work together. You can go from having nothing to running a professional TV ad on major networks in under 10 minutes. No production budget, no media buying expertise, no $500+ minimum to test.
#2: Roku Ads Manager — Best for Roku-Specific Campaigns
Roku Ads Manager is a solid option if you have existing video creative and specifically want to target Roku's 80+ million active accounts.
Minimum: $500 | Video Required: Yes | Channels: Roku only | Ease of Use: Good
The platform is straightforward for anyone familiar with digital advertising. The main limitations are the $500 minimum, video requirement, and single-platform reach.
#3: Hulu Ad Manager — Best for Disney/Hulu Audiences
Hulu Ad Manager offers access to engaged viewers in a premium streaming environment, with access to Hulu and Disney properties.
Minimum: $500 | Video Required: Yes | Channels: Hulu/Disney | Ease of Use: Good
Like Roku, the barriers are budget and creative requirements. But if you have both, Hulu's audience quality is strong, particularly for reaching younger demographics.
#4: Paramount Ads Manager — Best for CBS/Paramount Content
Paramount's self-serve platform provides access to CBS, Paramount+, Pluto TV, MTV, Comedy Central, and more. They've added AI creative tools to help businesses without existing video.
Minimum: $500 | Video Required: Yes (AI tools available) | Channels: CBS/Paramount | Ease of Use: Good
A solid mid-tier option if you want access to CBS sports and entertainment content specifically.
#5: Universal Ads — Best for Multi-Publisher Reach
Comcast's Universal Ads platform aggregates inventory from NBCUniversal, Fox, AMC, Warner Bros. Discovery, and others. Launched in 2025, it's ambitious but still maturing.
Minimum: Not disclosed | Video Required: Yes | Channels: Multi-publisher | Ease of Use: Unknown
Promising for larger advertisers, but the lack of transparent pricing suggests it's not yet optimized for true small businesses.
#6: Amazon DSP — Best for E-Commerce at Scale
Amazon DSP offers powerful purchase-intent targeting, but with minimums starting at $35,000+ for managed service, it's not realistic for most small businesses.
Minimum: $35,000+ | Video Required: Yes | Channels: Amazon/Fire TV | Ease of Use: Complex
Unless you're an established e-commerce brand with substantial ad budgets and agency support, Amazon DSP isn't the right fit.
How We Evaluated: The 7 Key Questions
Want to evaluate platforms yourself? Here are the seven questions that matter most for small businesses. We'll walk through each one so you can make your own informed decision.
The CTV Platform Landscape
Before diving into evaluation criteria, it helps to understand what types of platforms exist. Without naming specific competitors (there are many), the landscape breaks into a few categories.
First, there are the streaming services themselves. Roku, Hulu, and Amazon have all launched self-serve advertising tools that let businesses buy ads on their specific platforms. These tend to have higher minimums (typically $500 or more) and require you to bring finished video creative.
Second, there are aggregator platforms that provide access to multiple streaming services through a single interface. These platforms buy inventory programmatically across many channels, often offering lower minimums and additional features like creative tools. Some are built for enterprises, others specifically for small businesses.
Third, there are demand-side platforms (DSPs) that provide sophisticated buying tools for agencies and large advertisers. These typically have significant minimum commitments and assume professional media buying expertise.
For small businesses, the relevant comparison is usually between streaming platform direct options and SMB-focused aggregator platforms. That's what this guide focuses on.
The 7 Questions Every Small Business Should Ask
When evaluating any CTV advertising platform, these seven questions will reveal whether it's the right fit for your business.
1. What's the minimum budget to get started?
This is the first filter because it eliminates options immediately. If a platform requires $10,000 to start and you have $500 to test, that's not the platform for you, regardless of its other features.
Streaming platform direct options typically require $500 per campaign minimum. Enterprise-focused platforms often start at $5,000 to $25,000. Some SMB-focused aggregators start as low as $50.
The right answer depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you're testing CTV for the first time, lower minimums let you experiment without significant risk. If you've already validated that streaming TV works for your business and you're ready to scale, higher minimums matter less than other factors.
For most small businesses exploring CTV, look for platforms with minimums under $500 so you can test and learn before committing larger budgets.
2. Do I need to bring my own video, or will they create it?
This question often matters more than the first one. Professional video production is expensive. A basic 30-second commercial from a production company typically costs $2,000 to $10,000 or more. That's before you've spent anything on actually running ads.
Most streaming platform direct options (Roku Ads Manager, Hulu Ad Manager) require finished video creative. If you don't have it, you'll need to produce it before you can advertise.
Some aggregator platforms include creative tools. The most advanced use AI to generate professional TV ads from your existing website content, images, and business information. Adwave, for example, can create a broadcast-ready commercial in about two minutes using just your website URL.
If you have professional video ready to go, creative requirements aren't a barrier. If you don't, this becomes the deciding factor for many small businesses.
3. How many channels and platforms can I reach?
CTV advertising's power comes from reaching streaming TV audiences. But how much of that audience can you actually reach?
Platform-direct options give you access to one ecosystem. Roku Ads Manager reaches Roku devices. Hulu Ad Manager reaches Hulu and Disney properties. To reach audiences on multiple platforms, you'd need to set up and manage campaigns on each one separately.
Aggregator platforms typically provide access to dozens or hundreds of channels through a single campaign. A platform like Adwave gives you access to 100+ premium channels including networks like NBC, ESPN, and streaming services like Peacock, Tubi, and Pluto TV.
Broader reach means more potential customers, simpler campaign management, and the ability to test which environments perform best for your business.
4. What targeting options are available?
CTV advertising's advantage over linear TV is precise targeting. But not all platforms offer the same capabilities.
At minimum, you should expect geographic targeting (by DMA, state, or zip code radius), demographic targeting (age, gender, household income), and some form of interest or behavioral targeting. This is standard across most platforms.
More advanced options include dayparting (running ads at specific times), frequency capping (limiting how often the same viewer sees your ad), and contextual targeting (placing ads alongside specific types of content).
For local businesses, geographic targeting is often the most important feature. Make sure any platform you consider can target your actual service area, whether that's a single metro area or a specific radius around your location.
For businesses wanting to reach people who've already visited their website, look for retargeting capabilities. CTV retargeting lets you show TV ads to people who've expressed interest in your business online, bringing the precision of digital advertising to the TV screen.
5. How easy is the platform to use?
This matters more than most evaluation guides acknowledge. A platform with sophisticated features is worthless if you can't figure out how to use it.
Platform-direct options from major streamers are generally designed for marketers familiar with digital advertising interfaces. If you've run Meta or Google ads, you'll recognize the patterns.
Some aggregator platforms are built for agencies and assume professional expertise. Others are built specifically for business owners who aren't advertising professionals. The difference in user experience is significant.
Signs of a business-owner-friendly platform include: guided setup flows that walk you through the process, AI assistance for creating campaigns, the ability to launch a campaign in under 10 minutes, and clear reporting that doesn't require interpretation.
If you're evaluating a platform, try to get into the actual interface before committing. Most SMB-focused platforms let you explore or even create an ad before requiring payment.
6. What reporting and measurement do I get?
Understanding whether your campaign is working requires access to meaningful data. At minimum, you should expect to see impressions delivered, completion rates (what percentage of people watched your full ad), and geographic distribution of your audience.
More advanced platforms provide additional insights like: the specific channels where your ads ran, daily performance trends, audience demographic breakdowns, and (increasingly) website attribution that shows when ad viewers later visit your site.
The measurement question connects to your goals. If you're running awareness campaigns, impressions and completion rates matter most. If you're trying to drive specific actions, look for platforms that offer tracking mechanisms like QR codes, custom URLs, or website attribution.
Don't get lost in measurement complexity. For small business campaigns, knowing that your ads are running, people are watching them, and you can see where they're being shown is usually sufficient to evaluate effectiveness.
7. Can I start small and scale?
The best platforms for small businesses let you begin modestly and increase investment as you learn what works.
Red flags include: high minimum commitments for first-time advertisers, long-term contracts required, and no flexibility to adjust budgets mid-campaign.
Green flags include: low minimums for testing, the ability to run multiple smaller campaigns rather than one large one, flexible pacing (you set the budget, they ensure you don't exceed it), and no penalties for pausing or stopping campaigns.
The goal is finding a platform that grows with you. Start with a $50 or $100 test. If it works, scale to $500. If that works, scale further. Platforms designed for small businesses understand this journey and support it.
Red Flags to Watch For
Beyond the seven questions, watch for warning signs that a platform isn't really built for small business needs.
High-pressure sales tactics. If you can't access the platform without talking to a salesperson, or if that salesperson is pushing you toward larger commitments than you're comfortable with, the platform probably isn't designed for self-serve small business use.
Requiring existing video with no alternatives. If video creative is the only option and there's no path to create it through the platform, you'll need to budget for production before you can advertise. That's fine if you're prepared for it, but it's a hidden cost if you're not.
Unclear pricing. You should be able to understand what you'll pay before you commit. If pricing requires a custom quote or depends on opaque factors, the platform probably isn't built for straightforward small business campaigns.
Enterprise-focused language. If the website and marketing materials talk about "brands," "agencies," and "enterprise," the platform probably has small businesses as an afterthought at best.
Common questions answered
What's the real minimum budget to test CTV advertising?
It depends on the platform. Streaming services like Roku and Hulu require $500 minimum per campaign. Enterprise platforms like MNTN require $10,000 or more. Some SMB-focused aggregator platforms start as low as $50, letting you run a meaningful test without significant financial risk. The key is finding a platform where the minimum matches your comfort level for experimentation.
Can I run CTV ads without hiring an agency?
Yes, if you choose the right platform. Self-serve options from Roku, Hulu, and various aggregator platforms let you create and manage campaigns directly. The catch is that most require you to bring finished video creative. If you don't have video, you'll either need to produce it (which may require an agency or production company) or choose a platform with built-in creative tools.
How do I know if a CTV platform is right for small businesses?
Look for these signals: low minimum budgets (under $500), transparent pricing without required sales calls, creative tools if you don't have video, and an interface designed for business owners rather than media buyers. Red flags include enterprise-focused language, high minimums, required video assets with no alternatives, and opaque pricing that requires custom quotes.
What targeting options should I expect from a CTV platform?
At minimum: geographic targeting (DMA, state, zip code), demographic targeting (age, gender, income), and some interest or behavioral targeting. More advanced platforms offer dayparting, frequency capping, and contextual targeting. For local businesses, geographic targeting is usually the most important feature, so verify the platform can target your specific service area.
How long should I run my first CTV campaign?
Plan for at least two to four weeks. CTV advertising builds awareness through repeated exposure, not single impressions. A campaign that's too short won't generate enough impressions for you to evaluate whether the channel works for your business. Start with a budget you can sustain for a full month, measure the results, then decide whether to scale.
What to Expect From Your First Campaign
Whichever platform you choose, set realistic expectations for your first campaign.
CTV advertising is a brand awareness channel, not a direct response mechanism. You won't see the immediate click-through tracking you get from digital ads. Instead, you're building recognition and trust that pays off over time through increased direct searches, word-of-mouth, and credibility when prospects are evaluating options.
The data supports TV's effectiveness: customers trust brands they see on TV more than brands they only encounter on social media. But that trust builds through repeated exposure, not single impressions.
Start with a geographic area you can measure, a budget you can sustain for at least two to four weeks, and a creative that clearly communicates who you are and what you offer. The goal of your first campaign isn't immediate ROI. It's learning whether streaming TV is a channel worth investing in for your business.
The right platform makes that learning accessible, affordable, and achievable. Choose accordingly.