Hulu enters programmatic with self-serve ad platform aimed at small businesses

Hulu is making a play to introduce more smaller advertisers to streaming TV with a new self-serve ad manager that lets buyers set up campaigns for as little as $500.

On Wednesday, the company announced Hulu Ad Manager, a self-serve advertising platform that makes ad space available to advertisers who otherwise might have been priced out of the market. Hulu Ad Manager is a programmatic automated way to run ads, which is how marketers are used to buying online. Facebook, Google, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest and Amazon all have self-serve ad platforms. Just last week, TikTok launched one too.

Self-serve has been a staple of internet advertising for years, but Hulu is in the connected TV space, which is just starting to have the same automated ad levers. In May, Hulu’s rival Roku released a self-serve product called OneView Ad Platform.

“Hulu is now giving smaller businesses the ability to advertise in a high quality, premium streaming television environment,” Hulu said in its announcement. “with the beta launch of Hulu Ad Manager, a self-service solution for small – Techmedium-sized businesses to activate, manage and track their ad campaigns.”

“Hulu Ad Manager gives businesses a way to include streaming TV ads in their overall marketing strategy and to help grow their overall customer base,” Hulu said.