Streaming continues to take a large share of viewer attention. In June 2025, Horowitz Research found that 61% of weekly content viewing now happens on streaming platforms, up from 45% in 2024 and 38% in 2020. As more TV moves into apps and over-the-top (OTT) media services, brands are investing in OTT advertising platforms to put their video content in front of viewers.
OTT platforms range from large consumer networks, like Hulu and Roku, to brand-owned streaming channels built around specific communities or business goals. With platforms like Vimeo OTT, you can launch your own streaming service, choose how to monetize it, and measure its performance in one place. That control lets you design ad-supported experiences that fit your brand instead of working within someone else’s environment.
In this guide, we’ll explore your best options for OTT advertising methods and platforms.
What’s OTT in advertising?
OTT refers to video content delivered over the internet rather than through cable or satellite providers. It covers content on many kinds of platforms, from subscription apps like Netflix to free-ad-supported streaming services.
OTT advertising places your ads inside the streaming service’s programming, so campaigns run through the platform’s app at predetermined intervals rather than fixed broadcast time slots. This makes OTT ads effective because you can target audiences based on attributes such as location, interests, and viewing behavior, while still reaching people in a casual, TV-like environment.
With a few extra resources, you can go further by building your own OTT channel and setting the rules for both ad placement and audience targeting inside your experience instead of relying solely on a large consumer platform like Roku.
Create your own platform with Vimeo OTT →
4 types of OTT platforms
OTT platforms follow different video-on-demand business models, each of which changes how viewers access content and how brands approach OTT advertising. Many of the major streaming services on smart TVs and connected devices fall into four categories (or a combination of them).
1. Transactional video on demand (TVOD)
Think of TVOD like digital pay-per-view. It uses a rental or purchase model where viewers pay for pieces of content, so users can rent a live event (like a ticket purchase) or buy a film to keep. With Vimeo OTT, you can sell specific episodes, events, or courses directly to your audience without sending them to a third-party storefront.
2. Subscription video on demand (SVOD)
SVOD is a model popularized by streaming services like Netflix. It gives members ongoing access to a catalog of shows and films in exchange for a recurring fee. Some SVOD models offer pricing tiers with different features, such as higher resolutions, for slightly more per month. Vimeo OTT supports similar subscription setups, so you can package your library as a membership while keeping control over how viewers pay and which programs sit behind the paywall.
3. Free video on demand (FVOD)
FVOD platforms provide on-demand libraries at no cost, supported by sponsorships or lighter ad loads. They work as a low-friction entry point where viewers can discover and test your streaming services before upgrading to a subscription. It’s not uncommon to see a hybrid of SVOD and FVOD, where viewers can sign up for a limited free trial or view a limited part of your catalog, then upgrade to a paid ad tier or slightly higher-cost ad-free tier. Vimeo OTT also supports this hybrid approach, letting you mix free sections with paid tiers while using the same OTT audience measurement tools across your OTT platforms.
4. Advertising video on demand (AVOD)
AVOD makes video content free to watch with costs covered by pre-roll or mid-roll ads. Viewers stream through familiar apps like Pluto TV, and marketers use targeting tools to show campaigns to defined audience segments, rather than purchasing fixed broadcast slots. This is most similar to cable and older streaming methods, and is commonly part of hybrids like FVOD.
What are the top OTT advertising platforms?
Since there are several variations on OTT ad models, the best OTT advertising platforms are the ones that fit your needs best. This list includes a mix of primary streaming services and platforms that let you build your own channel for control over your campaigns.
Here’s a list of some of the top OTT advertising platforms.
OTT consumer-facing networks
These OTT platforms attract a large audience as household names, providing familiar streaming services on smart TVs and connected devices. They tend to offer ad inventory you can buy directly from the platform or through their partners.
Roku
Roku is a streaming device, ecosystem, and an OTT platform. It uses its first-party data to help advertisers reach viewers across many channels from a single environment, which makes it a good choice for ad placements using data-driven audience segmentation. It’s often used to run OTT advertising that spans multiple apps and targets viewer behavior.
Peacock
Peacock combines shows on demand with live programming from NBCUniversal, and over three-quarters of its users watch on ad-supported plans. For advertisers, that means access to a large audience of viewers who expect ads while they stream, making it a strong option for brand exposure.
Netflix
Netflix now offers an ad-supported tier alongside its subscription plans, opening its global subscriber base to OTT campaigns. Brands can place spots next to premium video content across genres, reaching viewers who have opted into a lower-priced, ad-inclusive streaming experience.
Disney+
Disney+ runs as a subscription-first service featuring shows and movies from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and other franchises that the Disney company owns. It also offers ad-supported plans in select markets, giving marketers a way to reach family-focused and fandom-heavy audiences inside a very brand-safe catalog.
Brand-owned OTT platforms
These OTT platforms give you a different kind of control: Instead of renting space inside someone else’s app, you run your own channel and decide how your video content and pricing fit together. Here are a few strong options for starting your own OTT platform.
Vimeo
Vimeo's OTT services let you launch a fully branded streaming platform, host and manage your video library, and publish apps across most kinds of devices. You can choose subscription or transactional models that mirror SVOD or TVOD, add advertising-supported options, and reach viewers in many regions without needing the technical knowledge to build the infrastructure yourself.
Uscreen
Uscreen is a creator and brand-forward OTT platform that centers its offering on subscription channels and paid video libraries accessible on mobile and TV apps. It's often used by fitness brands that want a consistent income stream without relying solely on ad revenue from third-party streaming services.
Muvi
Muvi offers a turnkey way to create white-label streaming services, including websites and apps that carry your branding (much like Vimeo OTT). Its focus on SVOD and TVOD-style billing makes it a fit for media companies that want to charge directly for access rather than rely on third-party ads.
Brightcove
Brightcove provides an enterprise video platform with tools for live and on-demand delivery, integrations with ad servers, and support for branded OTT apps. Larger organizations use it to manage complex video workflows where monetization and distribution across many endpoints all need to sit under one roof.
3 key benefits of OTT advertising
OTT advertising gives you a way to reach viewers inside streaming services while keeping close control over who sees your message and how you earn from your video content. Here are three perks of OTT advertising.
1. Precise audience targeting
OTT media runs over IP, so campaigns can access user data like location, device, and viewing behavior. Platforms that sell inventory programmatically let you refine targeting and adjust bids in real time, reducing wasted impressions compared with traditional TV buys. On brand-owned channels, tools like Vimeo OTT’s video analytics and audience management mean you can segment viewers and align campaigns with the parts of the library they watch.
2. Stronger viewer engagement
OTT viewers choose what to watch when on video-on-demand services, meaning their attention is more focused than passive channel surfing. Many OTT environments support interactive or shoppable formats, so ads can invite clicks, site visits, or signups from the screen. You can use completion and interaction metrics to see which campaigns hold their interest, no matter their streaming device.
3. Flexible monetization and full control
On consumer-facing OTT platforms, you buy into a pre-set mix of ad slots. With a brand-owned channel, you set the rules. Vimeo OTT lets you combine subscription access with transactional TVOD events or other video-on-demand models, all managed from one place. A unified purchasing flow across apps makes it easier to earn recurring revenue, and Vimeo’s analytics helps you see which content and pricing decisions drive the most activity.
FAQ
Can small businesses run OTT advertising campaigns?
Yes. Many streaming services offer flexible budgets and targeting tools, so small businesses can run OTT ad campaigns without the financial commitment of large, traditional TV spends.
What are OTT ad marketing best practices?
Use data to your advantage. Platforms that offer analytics about your audience — like where they’re located, their average age, and how they interact with videos — provide insights that will help you tailor ads for the best reach. Keep your campaign tone and messaging consistent across OTT platforms, and establish your main point and a call to action in the first 30 seconds.
What are the types of OTT ads?
Most OTT advertising uses short video spots that play before or during content, often in non-skippable formats. Newer options also include pause ads and interactive or shoppable ads that let viewers respond or buy without opening a new window.
Bring your brand to life with Vimeo OTT
OTT advertising lets you meet viewers inside the streaming services they already use, but building your own channel gives you a level of control that consumer platforms can't match. A brand-owned OTT destination lets you decide how your video content is organized and how you monetize it without relying on another service's rules or ad inventory.
Vimeo OTT brings all of that into a single, turnkey platform where you can create a custom streaming channel, manage your library, and track engagement across every app your audience uses. You can run subscription models or one-time offerings, and use analytics to shape your programming and growth strategy.
Explore Vimeo's OTT services to see how easily you can build a custom streaming channel tailored to your brand.
