Pre-roll ad pricing models
Most platforms use two pricing models for pre-roll video ads:
- CPM (cost per mille) — you pay for every 1,000 impressions, regardless of how long someone watched.
- CPV (cost per view) — you pay for each view when someone watches past a certain threshold.
Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on your goals and the type of offer. CPM gives you more control over volume and spend. CPV naturally filters out uninterested viewers.
For affiliates, CPM is usually more cost-efficient. If you optimize the campaign effectively and boost CTR, your effective cost per click will be lower than what you’d pay under a CPV model.
What is RichAds?
Ad network for telegram ads,
high quality push and popunder ads,
domain redirect, native and display traffic source,
buy push ads at $0.005 (CPC), pop ads at $0.5 (CPM),
domain ads costs start from $1.5 (CPM), native ads — from $0.001 (CPC),
ad network offers large volumes of traffic in more than 200 geos from Tier 3 to Tier 1.
Key factors that affect pre-roll video ad cost
Pre-roll advertising cost depends on many things:
GEO targeting
Tier 1 countries (US, UK, AU, CA, DE) drive the highest CPMs across all platforms. But if you’re running campaigns in Tier 2 or Tier 3 regions, your cost of pre-roll ads will be substantially lower.
Payouts and traffic volumes also vary by GEO, so you should calculate your budget based on all these factors.
Vertical competition
Gambling, Betting, Finance, and Dating niches are highly competitive. It affects the auction, raising prices for all formats, including pre-roll ads.
Video ad type
Non-skippable ads usually cost more than skippable ones because they guarantee full exposure. That said, most publishers support only skippable in-stream ads, offering large volumes of quality traffic at a low price.
Seasonality
Seasonality is tied to competition. During the holiday shopping season, CPMs may spike 25-35% above annual averages. Major events like the World Cup, elections, and the Super Bowl also drive CPMs up in relevant niches.
Creative quality
On some platforms, ads with high engagement (watch time, CTR) are rewarded with lower CPMs in the auction. The higher the CTR, the better ROI you can achieve (running converting CPM traffic), so a strong creative can meaningfully improve your profits.
Platform
All platforms are different, providing various placements, audiences, and traffic volumes, all of which affect pre-roll ad costs. Choose wisely, comparing all the mentioned factors.
Pre-roll ad cost on YouTube
YouTube is the largest video platform for pre-roll advertising. It uses Google Ads’ auction system, so the cost of pre-roll ads varies based on competition, targeting, and creative quality.
Pricing
- Skippable TrueView ads: $0.03–$0.12 CPV. You only pay when someone watches at least 30 seconds or interacts with the ad.
- Non-skippable ads: $7–$15 CPM. Higher because every impression guarantees full exposure.
- Bumper ads: $5–$10 CPM.
The average YouTube pre-roll advertising cost across formats runs around $5–$20 CPM for most audiences. High-competition niches can push CPMs for video ads to $40+.
Minimum budget
Google Ads doesn’t set a hard minimum, but most advertisers start with about $50 per day. You can also refer to a $500/month benchmark.
Highlights for affiliates
- Massive reach.
- Strong intent signals from search-based targeting.
- Powerful analytics.
- High pre-roll video ad costs.
- Strict ad policies for popular affiliate verticals like Gambling and Dating.
Pre-roll ad cost on X (Twitter)
X (formerly Twitter) offers pre-roll ads through its Amplify Pre-roll product. Ads appear before premium publisher videos across timelines, profiles, and search results. You can target by content category: sports, news, gaming, lifestyle, and 15+ other options.
Pricing
- Amplify Pre-roll: averages $5.80 CPM, rising for premium categories like live sports.
- Billing is triggered after a 2-15 second view.
The average X ad CPMs are set around $6–$9 for standard placements. Pre-roll through Amplify is at the higher end of that range due to the premium publisher inventory.
Minimum budget
X doesn’t publish a specific minimum daily budget for Amplify Pre-roll, but anything below $50/day won’t generate enough impressions for learning and scaling.
Highlights for affiliates
- Real-time audience.
- High engagement around trending topics.
- Lower overall CPMs than Meta.
- VAST support with view tracking.
- Ads can be up to 30 seconds and are skippable after 6 seconds.
What is RichAds?
Ad network for telegram ads,
high quality push and popunder ads,
domain redirect, native and display traffic source,
buy push ads at $0.005 (CPC), pop ads at $0.5 (CPM),
domain ads costs start from $1.5 (CPM), native ads — from $0.001 (CPC),
ad network offers large volumes of traffic in more than 200 geos from Tier 3 to Tier 1.
Pre-roll ad cost on Facebook (Meta)
Facebook’s pre-roll ads (called In-Stream ads) appear before or during videos on Facebook Watch and across the Facebook feed. With Meta’s Advantage+ targeting, the platform automatically optimizes delivery for conversions.
Pricing
- Entertainment and eCommerce verticals: $5–$10 CPM.
- Finance and insurance: $15–$20 CPM.
Average Facebook CPMs are approximately $11–$20 globally, depending on industry, GEO, and objective. US CPMs are substantially higher than average — around $16–$23.
Minimum budget
Facebook allows campaigns starting at $1/day, though meaningful testing requires a minimum of $30–$50/day to let the algorithm optimize.
Highlights for affiliates
- Unmatched audience scale.
- Granular targeting.
- Strong retargeting capabilities.
- AI-powered Advantage+ feature.
- High competition.
- Pre-roll video ads are only 5-15 seconds.
Pre-roll ad pricing at RichAds
RichAds is one of the best video ad networks, offering pre-roll ads alongside other high-performing affiliate formats such as push, pop, direct click, native, and Telegram ads.
Pricing
- Pre-roll video CPM starts at $0.05.
- CPMs vary by GEO: India CPM is around $0.065, while Australia CPM is $0.743.
- Minimum deposit: $150 (Rookie account level).
RichAds’ pre-roll CPM is significantly lower than video traffic prices on other platforms — a fraction of what you’d pay on YouTube or Facebook.
Minimum budget
RichAds experts recommend setting up a daily test budget of $100 to gather data before scaling. Afterward, you can use Micro Bidding to adjust bids for each source.
Highlights for affiliates
- Over 50 million daily video ad impressions.
- Premium traffic across Tier 1, 2, and 3 countries.
- Proven publisher base.
- Low CPM prices from $0.05.
- Advanced optimization tools.
- Detailed targeting.
What is RichAds?
Ad network for telegram ads,
high quality push and popunder ads,
domain redirect, native and display traffic source,
buy push ads at $0.005 (CPC), pop ads at $0.5 (CPM),
domain ads costs start from $1.5 (CPM), native ads — from $0.001 (CPC),
ad network offers large volumes of traffic in more than 200 geos from Tier 3 to Tier 1.
Pre-roll ad pricing comparison: 4 platforms
Here’s a clear comparison table of all aforementioned video ad platforms:
| Platform | Min Price | Avg Price | Min Test Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | $0.03–$0.12 CPV; $5 CPM | $5–$20 CPM | $50/day |
| X (Twitter) | $5.80 CPM | $6–$9 CPM | $50/day |
| $5 CPM | $11–$20 CPM | $30-$50/day | |
| RichAds | $0.05 CPM | $0.05–$2 CPM | $100/day |
Conclusion: Which platform to choose?
The right platform depends on your offer, budget, and GEO:
- YouTube is the best choice for massive reach and strong intent targeting, but it’s the most expensive pre-roll ad platform.
- Facebook works well for audience-based retargeting; however, it has strict advertising policies for most affiliate verticals.
- X (Twitter) is good for time-sensitive campaigns around trending topics and live events.
- RichAds is the standout choice for affiliate campaigns in Gambling, Betting, and Dating verticals. With CPMs from $0.05, massive global reach, and an AI-based optimization toolkit, it’s the top platform for testing pre-roll video at scale.
Ultimately, you can try several platforms and analyze performance to determine the best option for your goals. Start with RichAds and launch your first pre-roll campaign today!
What is RichAds?
Ad network for telegram ads,
high quality push and popunder ads,
domain redirect, native and display traffic source,
buy push ads at $0.005 (CPC), pop ads at $0.5 (CPM),
domain ads costs start from $1.5 (CPM), native ads — from $0.001 (CPC),
ad network offers large volumes of traffic in more than 200 geos from Tier 3 to Tier 1.
FAQ on pre-roll video ad cost
Pre-roll ad pricing varies widely by platform: YouTube averages $5–$20 CPM; Facebook averages $11–$20 CPM; RichAds’ pre-roll CPM starts at $0.05.
Pre-roll advertising costs depend on several factors: the platform, the bidding model, your target audience, season, creative quality, and competition in your niche.
RichAds ad network team recommends assessing all these aspects together to determine the best settings for the video ad campaign launch.
There are two models:
- CPM (cost per mille) — you pay per 1,000 impressions, regardless of engagement. Used for non-skippable ads, bumpers, and most affiliate network inventory.
- CPV (cost per view) — you pay when someone watches past a set threshold (usually 30 seconds, or the full ad if shorter). Used for YouTube skippable TrueView.
Some platforms also offer the CPC (pay-per-click) model for video campaigns, though it’s less common for pre-roll ads.
Broadly, pre-roll CPMs range from $0.05 to $30+, depending on platform and targeting. Specific amounts are in the table:
| Platform | Avg CPM range |
| YouTube | $5–$20 |
| $11–$20 | |
| X (Twitter) | $5.80+ |
| RichAds | $0.05–$2 |
The best strategy for advertisers is to launch campaigns on specialized video ad networks like RichAds, which offers pre-roll CPMs starting at $0.05, covering all top GEOs.
It’s also wise to whitelist top-performing placements, as cutting underperforming sources and scaling winners reduces wasted CPM spend. Furthermore, you can use Micro Bidding for granular bid adjustment.
Latest articles
