Top TV Advertising Platforms in 2025: Compare the Best Solutions for Streaming, Linear, and CTV Ads

How to Choose the Right TV Advertising Platform

Budget Considerations
When evaluating TV advertising platforms, start by examining their pricing models and minimum spend requirements. Some TV ad platforms cater to enterprise-level brands with larger budgets, while others are designed to support smaller or mid-market advertisers with more flexible, test-and-learn models; can you start small and ramp up or does it require a large upfront commitment? Additionally, consider how the platform handles inventory pricing. Are CPMs fixed or dynamic? Are you paying additional fees or taxes? Some TV advertising platforms offer pay-for-performance models and only charge for a pre-defined set of business outcomes, which may not always be accurate. Lastly, does the platform give you control over pacing and frequency based on your budget? Matching a platform’s cost model with your spend capacity is critical to ensuring efficiency.
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TV Inventory Preferences 
Not all TV advertising platforms offer the same access to inventory. Some specialize in streaming only (OTT and CTV), while others offer linear, and only a select few provide convergent TV - a true blend of both. Advertisers need to evaluate what kind of inventory aligns with their campaign goals; whether that’s reaching cord-cutting audiences through on-demand streaming, capturing mass attention during live sports, or building a full-funnel strategy that spans both. It’s also worth digging into who owns or supplies the inventory: is it limited to the platform’s own content, or does it aggregate inventory from a range of networks and publishers? The breadth and diversity of inventory can significantly impact reach, targeting capabilities, and cost.
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Measurement Capabilities 
Evaluating the right TV advertising platform means looking beyond surface-level metrics and reporting capabilities. While many TV advertising platforms offer measurement dashboards and attribution tools, not all deliver the kind of robust, TV-native measurement that marketers truly need. Advertisers should look for platforms that support Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), which helps quantify the incremental impact of TV within the broader media mix. Advertisers should also find platforms that help them understand their accurate reach and frequency, not just averages or impressions. Additionally, multi-touch attribution that incorporates signals from linear, streaming, and digital is increasingly vital for performance-based campaigns. Be cautious of platforms that rely solely on digital-native proxies like clicks or conversions, as they often miss the real impact of TV, especially for awareness and brand lift.
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Direct vs. Programmatic Media Buying
Understanding when to use direct or programmatic buying is essential when choosing the right TV advertising platform. Direct buying is often ideal for high-profile linear placements like live sports, or tentpole programming where guaranteed impressions, premium inventory, and control over context matter most. Direct buys often happen months in advance and ensure your ad will run during programs that historically are hard to secure. With direct buys, there is a more intimate relationship between the TV advertising platform team and the networks, so there are instances that special discounts can be procured. Direct offers stronger brand safety, better creative integration, and more transparency. Direct buying remains the preferred method for many buyers and sellers. While it lacks the full automation of programmatic, it fits existing workflows built around insertion orders and one-to-one negotiations, removing the need for a DSP altogether.

Programmatic buying is built for flexibility and scale. It’s well-suited for performance-driven campaigns that benefit from real-time bidding, dynamic budget allocation, and granular targeting. Programmatic is especially effective in streaming environments where impressions are sold in real time and optimized by data signals. However, the inventory available in programmatic is much more scarce than that of direct. In fact, the majority of streaming is still done through direct transactions, many of which are not accessible through programmatic DSP platforms. Still, programmatic can help facilitate down-funnel marketing strategies like retargeting.
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When evaluating TV advertising platforms, advertisers should assess what buying options they have and if the platform can help you manage both direct and programmatic in a single place.
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Audience Targeting Capabilities 
While some platforms rely on broad demographic categories, the most advanced TV advertising platforms integrate first-and third-party data sets to target households based on behaviors, purchase intent, and viewership patterns. With the future of third-party cookies in question, and privacy regulations becoming stricter, advertisers need ad platforms that will enable them to leverage their own first-party data to better understand who is actually converting on their app or website, then use that insight to scale up the TV buy. This, combined with other third-party resources, leads to a more scientific and accountable approach that puts results forward. It's essential to assess whether the platform allows you to bring your own data, how granular the targeting options are (household, device, geography, or custom segments), and whether it can maintain reach without sacrificing specificity. Ultimately, strong targeting capabilities will drive better efficiency, relevance, and performance across campaigns.
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Team Resources and Platform Fit

The size and structure of your team will play a major role in determining the right TV advertising platform. Smaller teams or those new to TV advertising may benefit from managed-service platforms that provide hands-on support, campaign setup, and optimization-minimizing the burden on internal resources. Larger teams with dedicated media buyers or analysts might prefer self-serve platforms that offer greater control, customization, and integration with existing workflows. If you work with agencies or freelancers, seek platforms with multi-user access, role-based permissions, and shared dashboards. Ultimately, the best platform matches your need for support, desired level of control, and the time your team can commit to campaign management. Ultimately, the right choice depends on how much support you need, how much control you want, and how much time your team can realistically dedicate to campaign execution and management.