A floor price is the minimum CPM a publisher will accept for a CTV ad impression. Any programmatic bid below the floor is rejected — the impression goes unsold rather than clearing below floor. Publishers use floors to protect inventory value and prevent race-to-bottom dynamics on premium content.
In India CTV, open exchange floors typically range from ₹150–₹250 CPM for standard content, rising to ₹300–₹500 CPM for primetime premium OTT, and ₹600–₹1,200+ CPM for live sports inventory. These are substantially higher than equivalent digital display CPMs.
Hard floors vs soft floors
A hard floor is absolute: bids below it are rejected entirely. A soft floor nudges auction clearing prices upward in second-price mechanics — a winning bid above the soft floor but below the hard floor clears at the soft floor price rather than the second-highest bid. Since most CTV programmatic has moved to first-price auctions, hard floors are the more operationally significant concept today.
Why CTV floors are higher than display
CTV impressions command higher floors because they are genuinely more valuable: near-100% viewability (full screen, TV on), non-skippable formats, scarce break-slot inventory, and premium long-form content environments. Floors reflect these attributes. A buyer who bids below floor doesn't get a discount — they get nothing.