In today’s world, where technology is developing at an incredible pace, OpenAI is implementing controversial “improvements” in ad creatives, changing headlines and links without human oversight. Simultaneously, media giants, including CBS and CNN, are actively entering into partnerships with betting companies, raising questions about the boundaries of ethics and transparency in the run-up to elections. These changes are shaping a new reality for digital arbitragers and marketers, offering both unprecedented opportunities and significant risks.
OpenAI and Ad “Improvements”: Automation or Loss of Control?
Since launching its advertising platform earlier this year, OpenAI has emphasized the importance of safe and relevant advertising. However, recent “improvements” to ad creatives, which can affect everything from the headline to the target link, raise serious concerns.
Essentially, this means the potential exclusion of human control from the creative decision-making process. We, as digital arbitragers, see this as a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, automation can reduce CPM and simplify scaling. On the other hand, without adequate testing and transparent statistics, it can lead to budget waste.
Media and Gambling: A New Era of Partnerships
From Prediction Markets to Direct Sportsbooks
“Media outlets used to justify collaborations with prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket by saying they weren’t exactly gambling. But now CBS is openly partnering with DraftKings, showcasing their branding on air during elections,” Status reports.
CNBC became the first news organization to partner with Kalshi, integrating prediction data into its news. Now CBS, CNN, Fox News, and Associated Press also have deals with Kalshi.
Substack and Dow Jones, parent company of The Wall Street Journal, are partnering with Polymarket. These “prediction markets” deny that they are sportsbooks, although they accept bets on sports and partner with sports leagues.
But now CBS is taking the next step, directly partnering with DraftKings, which means open integration of a betting brand into news content.
Sports Sponsorships: The New Reach Economy
Amid growing pressure on marketers to prove advertising ROI, spending on traditional ad placements during NBA games is no longer an obvious choice, as Digiday reports. Instead, sponsorships are becoming an increasingly popular way for brands to create associations with the NBA and its players, going beyond intrusive 30-second spots.
Ledger, a blockchain company, signed a deal with the San Antonio Spurs. According to the company, Spurs fans are 4.8 times more likely to name Ledger as a leading firm in its category and twice as likely to prefer it over competitors. This is real math proving effectiveness.
However, large sports partnerships require careful verification of effectiveness. Adidas, which spent over $1 billion on marketing during the World Cup, is now under pressure from investors demanding proof of ROI.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the danger of OpenAI’s ad “improvements”?
The main danger lies in the loss of human control over creatives, which can lead to irrelevant or ineffective advertising, as well as potential reputational risks. This requires thorough hypothesis testing and continuous monitoring.
Why do media partnerships with sportsbooks raise questions?
Such partnerships blur the lines between news content and gambling advertising, which can undermine trust in the media and raise ethical questions, especially in the context of election coverage.
What are the alternatives to expensive advertising contracts with celebrities?
Alternatives include strategic sponsorships, banner advertising in short videos (YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Reels), where you can get cheap reach and mass reach for pennies. This allows you to not pay influencers, but get transparent statistics and test hypotheses for 1000 rubles.
Conclusion
The world of advertising and media is rapidly changing. While OpenAI experiments with creative automation, media giants are looking for new revenue streams in partnerships with sportsbooks. We, as arbitragers, see both risks and huge opportunities for those who are willing to adapt.
Forget about bloggers and expensive contracts. Today, CPM cheaper than 50 rubles for millions of reaches is a reality that can be achieved through banner advertising in Shorts. Do you want to buy reach without creating a video and get a native banner in Shorts? Contact us to find out how we can help your business get mass reach for pennies with transparent statistics.
In today’s world, where user attention is becoming an increasingly valuable resource, Banner advertising in Shorts offers unique opportunities to achieve millions of impressions at minimal cost. The gaming industry, despite its huge audience, still remains an underestimated advertising channel, but new approaches and technologies are changing the rules of the game.
Forget about bloggers: the gaming industry is changing the rules of the advertising market
The gaming industry is experiencing an identity crisis, trying to prove its value as an advertising channel while emphasizing its uniqueness. At the annual IAB Playfronts event, David Cohen, CEO of IAB, noted that new media, such as gaming, require a rethinking of advertising models. However, despite Cohen’s warnings, many technologies presented at Playfronts try to fit gaming into familiar frameworks.
While banner advertising in short videos offers unprecedented opportunities for cheap reach.
Why is gaming advertising still underestimated?
According to Shahar Sorek, CEO of Overwolf, only 2.4% of media budgets are allocated to the gaming industry, although 67% of Americans play video games weekly. This, he says, is “the biggest mismatch between audience attention and media investment today.”
But what if we told you that you can get millions of impressions for pennies, without resorting to expensive influencers?
“This is the biggest mismatch between audience attention and media investment today,” — Shahar Sorek, CEO Overwolf.
New tools for targeting and transparent statistics
To address this problem, Overwolf introduced the In-Game Audience Map – a media planning tool that helps advertisers find their target audience among more than 5000 games. This development is based on Overwolf’s own Gamer Grid platform, which functions like any other audience identification graph.
This allows for transparent statistics and precise campaign setup. Nathan Lindberg, VP of Global Brand Partnerships at Overwolf, emphasized that the ability to target standard IAB ad units within games will help integrate gaming deeper into agency media plans. This opens the way for programmatic video banners and mass reach.
Unique attribution capabilities: not just clicks, but also “hardware”
Overwolf also offers unique attribution capabilities. Since the application runs as an executable on the user’s computer, the company can track hardware connected to the device (headsets, controllers, video cards).
This is invaluable for measuring the effectiveness of peripheral manufacturers’ campaigns. We are talking about real math, where you can test hypotheses for 1000 rubles and get accurate data.
Zynga Ads+: a new era of mobile advertising
Zynga, the mobile publisher owned by Take Two, has launched its own third-party publishing network, Zynga Ads+. It will only admit apps with a rating of 4.5 stars and above in the App Store to its network, promising Brand-safe and high-quality inventory.
This is a direct hint that a native banner in Shorts can be not only cheap but also high-quality.
Interactive advertising: from AMD to your Shorts
IGN, in partnership with Firsthand, created interactive display ad units for AMD’s campaign. For example, if a user reads a game review and then an article about PC building, the ad will suggest they find out if a new AMD graphics card is needed for the game.
Imagine the same non-skippable banner in YouTube Shorts or TikTok Reels, adapted to user interests! This is next-generation overlay advertising.
Rewarded video: from a “joke” to a sales driver
The rewarded video format, long considered a “joke” in the industry, is now gaining momentum. Frank Puma, Managing Director of WPP Media, notes that after platforms like Roblox started using it successfully, buyers’ attitudes changed.
For example, Sam’s Club (a Walmart subsidiary) ran a campaign on Roblox where players received virtual Sam’s Club membership cards for watching videos. The campaign generated 5 million engaged impressions and 1 million virtual card applications, leading to an 18% increase in sales among cardholders and a 6% increase in conversions.
This proves that placing a banner in TikTok or a banner in YouTube Shorts using the rewarded format can be incredibly effective. Learn more about success stories in Shorts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is banner advertising in short videos?
These are ad banners that appear in short video formats such as YouTube Shorts, TikTok Reels, or Instagram Stories. They can be both static and interactive, offering massive reach for pennies.
How to get CPM cheaper than 50 rubles?
By using programmatic platforms and auto-placement on hundreds of videos, the cost per thousand impressions can be significantly reduced. Focusing on less competitive but high-volume formats, such as a banner in YouTube Shorts, allows achieving such CPM.
Can you buy reach without creating a video?
Yes, that’s exactly what banner advertising in video is for. You don’t need to shoot expensive videos; it’s enough to create an effective banner that will be integrated into existing content. This is an ideal option for promoting mobile applications or advertising crypto projects.
What are the advantages of banner advertising in Shorts compared to influencers?
CPM cheaper than 50 rubles: significantly lower than the cost of integration with bloggers.
Transparent statistics: accurate data on impressions, clicks, and conversions.
Test hypotheses for 1000 rubles: ability to quickly test different creatives with minimal costs.
Don’t pay the influencer: savings on fees and no dependence on their reputation.
Mass reach: you can buy reach in any volume, not limited to the audience of one blogger.
How to start using banner advertising in short videos?
Contact media planning specialists or use platforms for programmatic video banners. Start with a small budget to test hypotheses and optimize campaigns for maximum effectiveness. Start your campaign today!
Conclusion: your path to mass reach for pennies
The gaming industry and short video formats such as Shorts, Reels, and TikTok offer unique opportunities for advertisers who are willing to think outside the box. Forget about old models and expensive influencers. With banner advertising in Shorts, you can get mass reach for pennies, using precise targeting tools and transparent statistics.
Start buying reach without creating a video today and see the effectiveness of this channel. Don’t miss the chance to order banner advertising and become a leader in your niche. This is not just a trend, it’s a new reality of effective marketing.
Forget about bloggers and multi-million budgets! A new player is entering the market, promising mass reach for pennies. The startup Telly, which gives away free smart TVs in exchange for data and ad display, is opening up programmatic banner placement on its home screens. This is real math for those looking for banner advertising in short videos and other short video formats.
In a world where every click and view costs more and more, finding an effective yet budget-friendly channel for promotion becomes a real challenge. But what if there’s a way to get huge reach for pennies, using an innovative approach to advertising? Introducing Telly – a startup that could change your perception of advertising campaign costs and offer CPM cheaper than 50 rubles.
A New Era of Overlay Advertising: Banners on the Second Screen
Telly’s uniqueness lies in its dual-screen TVs. Below the main display, where the user watches content, there is an additional, narrower screen. This is where a constant stream of news and, most importantly for us, programmatic video banners are broadcast. This is an undisguised banner that is always in view.
Technology: Telly uses Magnite’s SpringServe ad server.
Demand sources: The Trade Desk, Teads, and other major platforms.
Advantage: The banner is constantly displayed without interrupting the main content.
Why is this important for an arbitrageur?
Mike Sheehan, Telly’s Chief Revenue Officer and former CEO of SpotX, emphasizes: for home screens to become an effective advertising channel, they need scale. And programmatic placement is precisely what provides this scale, allowing you to buy reach without creating a video.
Telly actively collaborates with IAB Tech Lab to create standardized specifications for advertising on home screens. This will unify the process and attract more investment in this segment.
Data is Everything: Precise Targeting of the Audience
When a user receives a Telly TV, they fill out an extensive questionnaire. This questionnaire includes data on household income, number of residents, brand preferences, insurance companies, and even car makes. Sheehan notes:
“The questionnaire goes very deep into demographics, lifestyle, and brand loyalty.”
Combined with ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) data, which shows exactly what the user is watching, this provides unprecedented targeting.
Imagine being able to show insurance ads only to households actively looking for new insurance. This is not just crypto project advertising or mobile app promotion, it’s a native banner in Shorts that hits the target precisely. Hypothesis testing for 1000 rubles becomes a reality when you know who you’re showing ads to.
Long Banners: A New Format for Engagement
In addition to standard programmatic banners, Telly offers longer ad placements – up to five minutes – through private marketplace (PMP) deals with Magnite. Sheehan claims that this duration, combined with the non-intrusive nature of the placement, significantly increases engagement.
For example, one streaming service (name undisclosed) achieved five times more app opens using a five-minute banner compared to a two-minute one. Mike Trion, Head of CTV and Video Strategy at PMG, confirms the effectiveness:
“The home screen has always been a powerful entry point for engaging viewers. Telly extends this opportunity by providing brands with a persistent presence that drives engagement.”
This opens new horizons for brand integration without filming and banners for infobusiness, where not only reach but also depth of interaction is important.
Conclusions and Call to Action
Telly offers a unique opportunity for arbitrageurs and marketers to get cheap reach and mass reach for pennies. The ability to auto-place on hundreds of videos (or rather, on hundreds of thousands of home screens) with deep targeting and low CPM is exactly what’s needed in 2024.
If you are looking for a way to place a banner in TikTok, advertise in Reels, or banner in YouTube Shorts, but are tired of high prices and opacity, then Telly could be your goldmine. Don’t pay an influencer when there are transparent statistics and the ability to order banner advertising at real prices.
It’s time to rethink your strategy and try this channel. Stay tuned for updates, look for PMP deal opportunities, and test hypotheses. These pennies for a million can bring you real profit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Telly and how is it related to banner advertising?
Telly is a startup that distributes smart TVs for free. The unique feature of these TVs is a second screen that constantly displays advertisements, including programmatic banners. This allows brands to place banner advertising in video formats without creating the video content itself.
What CPM can be expected from advertising on Telly?
While exact CPM figures have not yet been disclosed, Telly’s approach to mass free device distribution and programmatic placement suggests the potential for extremely low CPM, possibly CPM cheaper than 50 rubles, making it an attractive alternative to traditional advertising platforms.
Is it possible to place ads without creating a video?
Yes, this is one of Telly’s key advantages. You can buy reach without creating a video, using static or animated banners that appear on the TV’s secondary screen. This is an ideal option for a banner without filming.
How accurate is the targeting offered by Telly?
Telly collects extensive user data through detailed questionnaires upon registration, and also uses ACR (automatic content recognition) data. This allows for deep targeting by demographics, interests, behavior, and even brand loyalty, making a banner for infobusiness and other niches as effective as possible.
How to start advertising on Telly?
To start collaborating with Telly, you need to work with their programmatic placement partners, such as Magnite, The Trade Desk, or Teads. It is recommended to contact representatives of these platforms for detailed information on how to order banner advertising on Telly.
Looking for the cheapest CPM for a large-scale brand awareness campaign in 2026? We’ve compiled a rating of channels where you can buy thousands of impressions at a minimal price without losing audience quality. From banners on short videos to niche podcasts — we break down where you can really save money and where a low price results in empty numbers.
Channels with cheap CPM are advertising surfaces where a company can buy a thousand impressions at a low price while maintaining acceptable audience quality. In 2026, one of the cheapest options is banners on short videos. In the CIS, the price can be around $0.03–$0.10 per thousand impressions, or roughly $35–$100 per million impressions.
The lowest price alone does not guarantee a good result. For a brand awareness campaign, it’s important that impressions are real, videos are not duplicated, suspicious publications are filtered out, and the company receives a clear report.
According to ARIR and Data Insight, interactive advertising has become the main market driver: study participants predicted its share in companies’ advertising spending at 56% in 2025, and also noted growing interest in new formats, algorithmic purchasing, advertising with creators, and video advertising.
Rating Methodology
The channels below are ranked based on three criteria:
Criterion
What It Means
Price
Cost per thousand and million impressions
Scale
Whether large reach can be purchased quickly
Quality Control
Whether there is protection against fraud, duplicates, and inappropriate context
Important: the prices below are working benchmarks, not a universal price list. The final cost depends on the country, topic, language, placement requirements, budget size, and verification quality.
Channel #1. Banners on Short Videos
Banners on short videos are the strongest channel for cheap mass reach. The format is simple: a banner with the company’s message is placed on a large number of short videos.
For the CIS, a working benchmark is approximately $0.03–$0.10 per thousand impressions, or $35–$100 per million impressions. A more common range for regular campaigns is $35–$60/70 per million impressions. For the US, the price is higher: roughly $200–$500 per million impressions.
The main condition is quality control. At iBV, publications are automatically scanned, the system identifies suspicious behavior patterns, blocks suspicious videos, and helps avoid paying for inflated views. Without such verification, a cheap CPM can be a nice but useless number.
For gaming companies, the price is usually about 30% higher because more control is needed: age restrictions, exclusion of controversial topics, environment verification, and risk reduction for the advertiser.
Channel #2. Inexpensive Internet TV
Internet TV is advertising in video services and apps where people watch content on a TV, phone, or computer. The cheap tier is usually not in the most premium shows or major sports, but in a broader video catalog, niche apps, and less expensive packages.
Pros
similar to television in perception;
the large screen increases visibility;
frequency can be controlled;
can be purchased more flexibly than classic TV;
suitable for companies that need “video weight” but don’t want to pay for a full TV plan.
Cons
more expensive than banners on short videos;
a video version of the ad is required;
reporting is not always transparent enough;
the quality of placements needs to be checked separately.
IAB’s 2025 report noted growing expectations for connected TV: buyers expected 47% of such ad inventory to be available for more flexible purchasing, and 74% had already created or planned to create internal teams to work with this channel.
Channel #3. In-Game Advertising
In-game advertising can be a cheap and powerful channel, especially for a young audience. It comes in different forms: video ads for rewards, in-game interface placements, images within the game world, and sponsored placements.
Pros
high engagement;
young audience;
lots of mobile traffic;
a good option for gaming and entertainment companies;
undervalued placements can be found.
Cons
not every company fits the gaming environment;
higher risk of user irritation;
careful presentation is required;
for gaming companies, the price may be higher and verification stricter.
In-game advertising is good when a company wants to reach a young audience but doesn’t want to be completely dependent on social networks.
Channel #4. Podcasts and Inexpensive Author Shows
Podcasts rarely offer the cheapest CPM in absolute terms, but they can be profitable due to trust. This is especially true if you choose not the most expensive hosts, but medium and small shows with a clear audience.
Pros
trust in the host;
clear topic;
good engagement;
can choose a niche;
suitable for complex products.
Cons
reach is smaller than short videos;
not always an accurate estimate of views or listens;
no visual contact if it is audio only;
harder to scale quickly.
Podcasts are best used not as the cheapest mass channel, but as an addition to reach: for trust, explanation, and reinforcing the message.
Channel #5. Digital Out-of-Home Advertising
Digital out-of-home advertising is screens in the city, shopping malls, transport, on streets, and in buildings. It does not always provide the cheapest CPM, but works well for local awareness.
Pros
physical presence;
visible in the city;
suitable for stores, events, restaurants, services;
perceived as serious;
can be launched by city and district.
Cons
harder to measure exact contact;
price is higher than short video banners;
cannot quickly verify each user impression;
message must be very short.
Digital out-of-home advertising is suitable when it is important for a company to be seen in a specific city or district.
Channel #6. Niche Video Apps
These are video apps and small video services where ads are shown on thematic content. Such a channel can be cheaper than large video platforms because competition is lower.
Pros
can find inexpensive video traffic;
audience is often thematic;
suitable for testing;
sometimes provides good reach on a large screen.
Cons
need to check the list of apps;
possible duplicates and questionable impressions;
audience is not always clear;
requires strong reporting on placements.
This channel is best used only where there is transparency: list of platforms, quality checks, impression reports, and the ability to exclude unsuitable apps.
Channel #7. Paid Social Media Advertising
Paid social media advertising remains an important channel for awareness. It is not always the cheapest, but it is convenient for launching, testing materials, and quick comparison.
Pros
quick launch;
clear dashboards;
wide reach;
ability to test different messages;
familiar reporting.
Cons
price increases with narrow targeting;
high competition;
banners and videos quickly become annoying;
some reporting remains within the platform;
not always convenient to compare with other channels.
Social networks are good to use as a control point. If short video banners provide cheaper reach with normal quality checks, they can be scaled. If social networks give a better response at a higher price, they remain in the plan.
How to Build a Channel Mix
For a low-cost awareness campaign, you can use the following structure:
If the budget is small, you can start with just short video banners and social networks. For the first test of banners, a budget of at least $500 is enough to check price, reach, engagement, dynamics, and report quality.
FAQ
What is the cheapest CPM in 2026? For short video banners in the CIS, a working benchmark can be around $0.03–0.10 per thousand impressions. In terms of one million impressions, this is approximately $35–100, with a common range of $35–60/70 depending on the brief. For the US, the price of banner advertising on short videos is usually higher: $200–500 per million impressions.
Is the cheapest CPM always the best option? No. The lowest price is only good with normal verification. You need to filter out duplicate videos, suspicious publications, and bot traffic. Without this, a cheap CPM may mean not cheap reach, but poor quality.
Why do gaming companies pay more? For gaming companies, the price is often about 30% higher because the category has more risks: age restrictions, sensitivity to context, controversial genres, potential advertiser restrictions, and the need for stricter publication verification.
What type of content is best for placing banners? Most often, short videos for easy consumption are suitable: movie and TV clips, educational facts, memes, educational videos, explainer videos, and entertainment compilations. Such content provides large volume and is well suited for cheap reach.
Ready to launch a campaign with minimal CPM? Start by testing banners on short videos — this is the fastest and most budget-friendly way to test a hypothesis. And if you need help with setup and quality control, reach out to the professionals.
