Buying connected TV advertising: best tools or building your own ad stack

What to take away

A DSP suits in-house traders. The Trade Desk and Amazon DSP both sell CTV inventory, with minimum spend varying by deal.
A managed CTV specialist suits lean teams. MadHive and Simpli.fi run campaigns for a fee, often a percentage of media spend.
Broadcaster sales teams sell premium inventory. ITVX, Channel 4 and Sky Media offer direct deals and first look at formats.
Judge every option on inventory access, measurement, minimum spend and contract length.
Use one planning dataset and one verification source so numbers reconcile across campaigns.
Expect different rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where separate advertising codes or broadcaster terms apply.

How this list was chosen

This list names real tools and providers. It is not a ranking. Each entry must buy or verify CTV inventory available in England. The provider must publish documentation a buyer can assess. Commercial terms should be discoverable or negotiable in writing.

Geography matters. Ofcom regulates broadcast television across the UK. Advertising codes and some broadcaster terms differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Check the relevant code before you brief a creative team.

Demand-side platforms

A DSP lets your team bid for streaming inventory alongside other channels. The Trade Desk is independent and common for open exchange and private marketplace deals.

CTV Demand-Side Platforms

The Trade Desk

Inventory: Open exchange, PMP
Data tie-in: Independent
Minimum spend: Varies by contract

Amazon DSP

Inventory: Amazon, third-party CTV
Data tie-in: Amazon signals
Minimum spend: Varies by contract

Google DV360

Inventory: Google, YouTube
Data tie-in: Google Ads, YouTube
Minimum spend: Varies by contract

Amazon DSP offers Amazon inventory and third-party CTV supply. Google Display & Video 360 ties buying to Google Ads and YouTube data. Minimum spends vary by contract, often from a few thousand pounds per month.

For the mechanics of how bids, deals and audience segments fit together, the IAB UK guide to programmatic advertising explains the supply chain in plain terms. Read it before any platform demo so you can question the answers.

Managed CTV specialists

A managed service suits teams without in-house traders. MadHive focuses on streaming TV and local buying, often used by agencies. Simpli.fi combines CTV with search and social retargeting. Fees are usually a percentage of spend, for example 15 per cent on a £20,000 campaign. That is a labelled illustration, not a quoted rate.

Managed Service Fee Example

Campaign spend£20,000
Fee at 15 per cent£3,000

The trade-off is control. You see fewer levers and less raw data. Our connected TV advertising supplier comparison sets out questions to ask before signing, including who owns campaign data afterwards.

Broadcaster and platform sales teams

Direct buying from a broadcaster or streamer gives premium inventory and brand-safe placement.

ITVX and Channel 4 sell UK broadcaster inventory with their own reporting; Sky Media bundles Sky and partner inventory.

YouTube is the largest single streaming surface for many English buyers. Its video ad formats documentation explains skippable, non-skippable and bumper formats on TV screens; Roku and Samsung Ads sell home screen and in-stream placements on their devices.

Verification and measurement tools

Verification vendors check viewability, invalid traffic and brand adjacency. DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science are common for CTV verification. Measurement vendors estimate reach and outcomes. Nielsen and Comscore provide UK TV and streaming measurement. Most buyers need one of each, not five.

Nielsen's advertising intelligence tools cover competitive ad tracking. Pair that with your own first-party data before you change budgets.

Planning and audience data

Planning tools estimate reach against target audiences before you commit. BARB is the UK's broadcast audience measurement body and its data underpins many TV plans. Comscore and VideoAmp offer cross-platform planning and currency products. Ask how CTV impressions are counted and whether the same definition applies across platforms.

If you are building a longer procurement plan, the connected TV advertising tools and supplier guide for 2027 maps categories to team size and budget level.

Building your own ad stack

A basic stack needs five parts: a DSP for buying, an ad server for creative and frequency, an SSP for direct deals, a verification tag, and a measurement source. Name the parts in your contract.

For ad serving, Google Ad Manager and Magnite's SpringServe handle CTV creative and frequency. For supply, Magnite and FreeWheel connect publishers and buyers. Identity tools such as LiveRamp help match audiences without cookies. Keep one source of truth for impressions.

Common questions

Do I need a DSP if I already use a managed service?

Not initially. A managed service can run campaigns while you learn the reporting. Add a DSP when you want direct control of deals, data and bidding.

How many tools should a small English team buy?

Start with one buying route and one measurement source. Add verification once spend passes the level where wasted impressions cost more than the tool. Stacking platforms early creates reconciliation work.

Does a UK-wide campaign need separate tools for Scotland or Wales?

Usually not for buying. Check broadcaster terms and advertising codes that apply in each nation. Some inventory and creative restrictions differ, so confirm before launch.

How do I compare quoted fees fairly?

Ask every supplier for the same three figures: media spend, platform fee and any data or reporting charge. Convert all of them to a percentage of working media.