Are Video Ad Networks Really Worth It for Small Publishers?

If you run a small website or blog, you’ve probably heard about video ad networks. Maybe someone told you video ads pay more. Or that advertisers love video. It sounds tempting. But what does “worth it” really mean for someone with modest traffic? Will you make enough extra money to justify the setup, risk, and time?

This article answers that question clearly. We’ll look at how video ad networks work, what small publishers need to succeed, real numbers from the industry, pros & cons, and frequently asked questions people in your shoes often ask. By the end, you’ll have a good idea whether video ads are a smart move for you—and if yes, how to start right.

What Is a Video Ad Network?

Before judging worth, it helps to understand what a video ad network does.

• It connects advertisers who want to show video ads with publishers who have space on their site/app to display those ads.
  
• It handles technical setup (delivering ads, formats, reporting).
  
• It often takes a share of revenue (sometimes 40-50% or more), offers tools for targeting and analytics, and may require minimum traffic or video content.
  

So a video ad network is a middleman + tech provider. You get reach and tools; they get part of the payment and handle the heavy lifting.

Video Ad Network Statistics: What Small Publishers Need to Know:

Here are real data points to help you see whether video ad networks could pay off for you.

• A survey by Digiday (2023) found that about 74% of publishers already get some revenue from video ads. But many of those say it’s a small or very small portion of their total income.
  
• For small publishers (making less than US$10 million per year), 47% said they currently get no video ad revenue.
  
• On the flip side, more than half of small publishers plan to try or expand video ads soon.
  
• Typical CPM (cost per thousand impressions) for video ads in premium networks tends to be much higher than for display ads. For example, in DV360 (a programmatic ad platform), video ad CPMs often range between US$6-12, depending on targeting, format, and geography.
  
• Compare that with display ads, where CPMs might be lower (often under US$4) for general content.
  

These numbers show that video ads do pay more, but many small publishers either aren’t doing it yet or are just beginning.

What Small Publishers Must Think About Before Joining:

Video ads aren’t magic. There are costs, effort, and risks. Here’s what you need to check carefully:

• Site traffic/video views: If very few people visit your site or watch videos, video ads may not earn enough to cover costs. Advertisers pay more where there’s more viewable traffic.
  
• Do you have Video Content or not?: If you already host videos (e.g., your own video player), in-stream ads are possible. If not, you’ll likely need out-stream ads or partner networks that allow non-video publishers.
  
• Minimum Requirements: Many networks have minimum traffic, view count, or video inventory before they accept you. That can be a barrier.
  
• Technical Setup: Video ads may need special tags, players, format support,and maybe handling mobile/adaptive video, ensuring playability. Setup takes time and sometimes technical skill.
  
• Revenue Share / Fees: The network takes a cut. You also care about the payment schedule, thresholds, and what percentage you (publisher) receive.
  
• Ad Quality & User Experience: Bad video ads (slow load, auto-play loud sound, irrelevant content) damage your visitors’ experience, increasing bounce rates or lowering returning users.
  
• Viewability and Fill Rates: Just because you have video ads does not mean every view results in a video showing. Some impressions might be blank (no ad loaded) or have low viewability. These reduce your real earnings.
  
• Targeting & CPM Differences by Geography: Advertisers pay more for traffic from certain locations (e.g., the US, UK) or audiences. If your audience is global but mostly from low-CPM regions, the revenue will be lower.
  

In short, you must compare the additional income versus the added work and risk.

Pros and Cons of Using Video Ad Networks:

Pros:

• Higher earnings per ad impression. Video CPMs are significantly higher than display ads. If you get good traffic, this can boost your income quickly.
  
• Better engagement. Video ads tend to engage users more. Higher watch time, more attention, better for brands. That often means more advertiser demand.
  
• Diverse monetization. Video ad networks offer new formats: in-stream, out-stream, rewarded video, bumper ads, etc. If you add video ads, you diversify your revenue rather than relying only on banners.
  
• Room for growth. As interest and spending in video ads grow (which many reports confirm), getting in early helps you build technical and content capacity.
  

Cons

• Higher technical complexity and costs. Video ads require more bandwidth, better hosting, faster players, and more coding.
  
• Stricter quality demands. Advertisers demand good video quality, viewability, low latency, and brand safety.
  
• Minimum traffic / content thresholds. Big networks often don’t accept sites with low traffic or no video content.
  
• Revenue share and lower net income. Even if CPM looks high, after network cuts, ad delivery issues, unfilled impressions, and viewability losses, your actual cash can be much less.
  
• User experience risk. Video ads can be more intrusive. If misused (auto-play with sound, too many ads), you risk annoying visitors.
  
• Payment delays and thresholds. Some networks require you to reach a minimum payout or have net-30 / net-60 schedules.
  

Is Video Ad Network Worth It?

You’ll likely benefit if you have consistent traffic, can implement video content or support out-stream formats, you’re okay investing time to optimize, your audience is in regions with reasonable CPMs, and you choose a network with low minimum requirements.

You might not benefit if your traffic is tiny, you don’t have video content, no technical resources, your audience is from very low-CPM regions, or you want revenue immediately without tinkering.

Case Example: 

Let’s imagine two small publishers to see if video ad networks could pay off.

• Site A: 20,000 visitors/day (~600,000/month), has video articles, audience mainly US/Canada/UK. With $8-12 CPM and about 30,000 video impressions, at $10 CPM Site A would gross about $300 before network share and losses. After network cuts / viewability, maybe $120-$200. This might be worth the work.
  
• Site B: 5,000 visitors/day (~150,000/month), no video content, global audience, mostly low CPM countries. Using out-stream video ads with 20,000 video ad impressions at $4 CPM earns about $80 before losses. After deductions, maybe $30-$50. That’s some extra income, but not a game-changer.
  

These examples show video ad networks can add extra revenue, but usually not huge sums until traffic or video presence grows.

8 Tips for Small Publishers to Succeed with Video Ad Networks:

1. Start with out-stream video ads if you don’t have video content.
2. Choose networks with low entry barriers (traffic minimums, content requirements).
3. Optimize for site speed. Slow video ads kill both revenue and user experience.
4. Focus on viewability. Make sure ads are seen — not buried below the fold.
5. Test formats: skippable, non-skippable, short bumper ads, and rewarded videos.
6. Monitor net revenue, not just gross. Subtract network’s cut, ad failures, and viewability losses.
7. Don’t overload with video ads. One or two well-placed video ads may beat many banners.
8. Be transparent and quality-focused. Ad quality, brand safety, and no intrusive behavior keep advertiser demand up.

Additional Real-Life Example: Small Publisher Success & Mistake

Here’s a new mini example (added) to show what one small publisher did right, and another that faced problems.

1. Publisher C (Success):

Publisher C is a tech blog with 10,000 visitors/day (~300,000/month). They did not host their own video content but added out-stream video units in article bodies. They partnered with a video ad network with low minimums. They spent a few weeks testing where to place the units (top of article vs bottom), tested skippable vs non-skippable formats, and monitored bounce rate. They saw video ad income of ~$150 a month. After optimizing, site speed stayed good, and the extra income offset their time spent. Over 6 months, video ads contributed around 10-15% of their ad revenue.

2. Publisher D (Mistake):

Publisher D runs a niche hobby site with 3,000 visitors/day (~90,000/month), mostly from low-CPM countries. They signed up for a video ad network requiring minimum traffic. Their site became slower because the video units were heavy. Many impressions failed viewability checks. Their video ad revenue was < $50/month after network fees. Their regular display ads earned more per hour of work. They decided to pause video units and focus on display and email revenue instead.

These extra stories show that whether video ad networks are worth it depends a lot on which side you are: if you match the factors, you can succeed; if not, the work may outweigh the reward.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q1: What CPM can I expect from video ads as a small publisher?

A: It depends a lot on geography, format, ad network, and audience. For premium networks in US/UK, $6-12 CPM is common. For out-stream in lower CPM regions, maybe $3-5. After network share and losses, your effective revenue will drop.

Q2: Do I need video content on my site to get started?

A: No. Out-stream video ad networks allow non-video publishers to show video ads in the article body, in feeds, etc.

Q3: Is setting up video ad networks hard?

A: More work than banners. But many networks provide help and guides.

Q4: How much traffic do I need?

A: Many video ad networks expect decent traffic. If you have a few thousand visitors/day and good engagement, you can test.

Q5: Will video ads slow down my site or harm user experience?

A: They can if poorly implemented. But if you use good players, lazy loading, and proper formatting, the impact can be minimal.

Q6: How does revenue share work?

A: Networks usually keep a portion of what advertisers pay. Not every video impression shows an ad (fill rate), and not all ads are viewable—so your effective earnings can be much lower than gross CPM suggests.

Q7: Can video ad networks help attract more advertisers for my display ads too?

A: Some small publishers find that having video ad inventory makes their site more attractive. Advertisers sometimes perceive video ad placements as more premium, which may increase overall advertiser interest and even display ad rates.

Q8: Are there cheaper or free tools to estimate whether video ads are worth trying for my site?

A: Yes. Some video ad networks offer revenue calculators. You can also estimate your visitor count × expected video impressions × CPM to simulate potential income. Then subtract estimated costs or losses (site speed, viewability, network cut) to see the net.

Conclusion

So, are video ad networks really worth it for small publishers? The answer is: Yes, in many cases – but only if you’re prepared.

If you have enough traffic, or have built content where video can fit well, if you can afford some technical effort, and if your audience is in regions with decent advertiser demand, then video ads can boost your income, often by more than display ads.

But it’s not always a home run. For those with very low traffic, no video content, or audiences in low-CPM regions, you might see only modest gains, and the setup costs (time, speed, site experience) might outweigh the benefit at first.

If you decide to try, start small, test different formats, keep user experience in mind, calculate your true net income, and build gradually. Over time, video ad networks can become a strong part of your revenue mix rather than just a gamble.