CTV advertising is no longer limited to national brands with large budgets. A new wave of self-serve platforms is making TV campaigns accessible to small and mid-sized businesses — often with budgets starting under $1,000.

These platforms offer simple onboarding, creative templates, automated targeting, and access to premium streaming inventory. Marketers can build and launch campaigns in minutes, with real-time reporting and basic performance metrics included.

Notable self-serve CTV platforms include:

• MNTN – Performance-focused with a strong creative engine
• tvScientific – Focused on outcomes and direct integrations
• Vibe.co – Built for ease of use and fast creative turnaround
• StackAdapt – Programmatic support for CTV with mid-market scale
• Universal Ads – Built for ease of use and fast creative turnaround

This shift is lowering the barrier to entry for TV advertising. SMBs can now test connected TV the same way they test social or search — with smaller spends, clear outcomes, and fast creative execution. As these platforms continue to mature, more marketers will treat CTV as a flexible part of their performance strategy, not just a branding channel.

Sam Khoury

Founder, Cedar Consultants

Creative consulting solutions for Adtech