OTT Channel Owners - Why You Should Keep Advertising In-House
January 15, 2026
Most OTT channel owners focus on building distribution to meet the minimum viewership requirements set by ad providers. That process can take months. During that time, their channels generate views but no meaningful revenue, instead of selling ads in-house from day one.
The “High CPM” Is a Myth
CPM means cost per thousand impressions.
When you hear that CTV ads are selling for $30, $40, or even $60 CPM, that number is not what channel owners actually receive.
That number is the gross price paid by the advertiser.
Current market benchmarks:
- Lower tier inventory: $10 to $25 CPM
- Standard CTV inventory: $15 to $35 CPM
- Premium publisher inventory: $35 to $55+ CPM
- Live sports and event inventory: $50 to $75+ CPM
Between the advertiser and your channel are layers of platforms, exchanges, and technology companies that each take a share before you ever get paid.
In platform and programmatic setups, your ad revenue is reduced by:
- DSP and buying platform fees
- SSP and ad exchange fees
- Platform distribution fees
By the time your revenue reaches you, the real CPM is often cut by 30 to 50 percent or more.
A $30 CPM buy often turns into $12 to $15 in real revenue.
Why In-House Sales Change Everything
If you sell your ads yourself, you keep control of your pricing, inventory, and brand relationships.
Direct sales typically allow channel owners to retain:
- Most of the ad revenue
- Better fill rates and pricing stability
- Long term advertiser relationships
- More predictable cash flow
This is where real OTT businesses are built.
The Advantage Most Channels Are Ignoring
If you already work with local businesses, sponsors, ministries, schools, car dealers, medical offices, or service companies, you are sitting on advertising demand that platforms cannot touch.
- These advertisers want direct relationships.
- They want simple pricing.
- They want to know where their money goes.
That gives you pricing power and loyalty.
The Bottom Line
If you rely only on platforms to sell your inventory, you are renting your own business.
If you sell your ads yourself, you are building an asset.
- Your content is the product.
- Your ad sales operation is the engine.
- Your audience is the value.
Keep your monetization in-house and you keep your margins, your data, and your future.
