Video advertising
Asked as “video advertising platform”, and as “connected TV and online video ads platform”, on behalf of a mid-market B2B software company. 53 first choices recorded across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, six models each.
Standing · first-choice share
32%
Contested · YouTube Ads 15%
32StackAdapt15YouTube Ads11LinkedIn Video Ads42others
32% of first choices, contested.
Since September 2026▲+9Since September 2026: 24% → 33%, +9 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.StackAdapt held the lead, +9 points on 24%, inside the 12-point floor.
The standing
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, over all six models, for a mid-market B2B software company. Ordered by share.
ProductFirst-choice shareNegative rateLabelsQuadrantSince September 2026
01
StackAdapt32%0%36endorsed leader▲+9Since September 2026: 24% → 33%, +9 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.24% → 33%
StackAdapt32%0%36endorsed leader▲+9Since September 2026: 24% → 33%, +9 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.24% → 33%02
YouTube Ads15%15%46accepted challenger▼−2Since September 2026: 17% → 15%, −2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.17% → 15%
YouTube Ads15%15%46accepted challenger▼−2Since September 2026: 17% → 15%, −2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.17% → 15%03
Meta Ads11%21%42accepted challenger▼−2Since September 2026: 13% → 11%, −2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.13% → 11%
Meta Ads11%21%42accepted challenger▼−2Since September 2026: 13% → 11%, −2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.13% → 11%04
LinkedIn Video Ads11%17%18accepted challenger▲+9Since September 2026: 4% → 13%, +9 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.4% → 13%
LinkedIn Video Ads11%17%18accepted challenger▲+9Since September 2026: 4% → 13%, +9 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.4% → 13%05
Vibe.co8%0%17accepted challenger▲+2Since September 2026: 7% → 9%, +2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.7% → 9%
Vibe.co8%0%17accepted challenger▲+2Since September 2026: 7% → 9%, +2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.7% → 9%06MNTN2%0%15accepted challenger▲+2Since September 2026: 0% → 2%, +2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 2%
07
TikTok Ads2%35%34criticized challenger▼−4Since September 2026: 7% → 2%, −4 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.7% → 2%
TikTok Ads2%35%34criticized challenger▼−4Since September 2026: 7% → 2%, −4 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.7% → 2%08
Google Display & Video 360 Lab in the set2%10%10accepted challenger▲+2Since September 2026: 0% → 2%, +2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 2%
Google Display & Video 360 Lab in the set2%10%10accepted challenger▲+2Since September 2026: 0% → 2%, +2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 2%Show the five products at 0%, ordered by negative rate
09
The Trade Desk0%27%22criticized challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%
The Trade Desk0%27%22criticized challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%13
Demandbase0%20%10accepted challenger▼−2Since September 2026: 2% → 0%, −2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.2% → 0%
Demandbase0%20%10accepted challenger▼−2Since September 2026: 2% → 0%, −2 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.2% → 0%12
Hulu0%9%11accepted challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%
Hulu0%9%11accepted challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%10
Amazon DSP0%8%12accepted challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%
Amazon DSP0%8%12accepted challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%11
Roku Ads0%8%12accepted challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%
Roku Ads0%8%12accepted challenger=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 12-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.0% → 0%The floor is 12 points of share, measured: how far the models move a leader on their own when the same questions are asked twice with nothing changed. A larger change is movement; a smaller one is noise, and both are shown. How the floor is measured
Bars are the share of first choices, 0 to 100Every product with at least 10 labels here. Every product name links to its product page.
Google Display & Video 360 is made by Google, whose model Gemini 3.1 Pro is in the set. On the four share prompts that model made it the first choice zero times of 4; the other five models zero times of 20. Lab treatment is defined on the method page; the row is marked, not excluded.
Recommended versus criticized
Every product with at least 10 labels here, on both axes. The 30% line names a quadrant, not the verdict above: that one needs more than 40%.
Criticized challengerCriticized default
Negative label rate →
0102030405M06
07080910111213Accepted challengerEndorsed leader
0%First-choice share → · lines at 30% share and 25% negative50%
Key
01StackAdapt32%
StackAdapt32%02YouTube Ads15%
YouTube Ads15%03Meta Ads11%
Meta Ads11%04LinkedIn Video Ads11%
LinkedIn Video Ads11%05Vibe.co8%
Vibe.co8%06MNTN2%
07TikTok Ads2%
TikTok Ads2%08Google Display & Video 3602%
Google Display & Video 3602%09The Trade Desk0%
The Trade Desk0%10Amazon DSP0%
Amazon DSP0%11Roku Ads0%
Roku Ads0%12Hulu0%
Hulu0%13Demandbase0%
Demandbase0%What they warned about
A high negative share on a product with few labels is a warning. A low share on a product with many labels is salience, not sentiment.
TikTok Ads35%
12 of 34 labels negative · 10 of 6 models · 2 hard negative
“The "Trap" to Watch Out For: TikTok Ads ... TikTok is physically too expensive to start with, and you should stick to YouTube or Meta.” Gemini 3.5 Flash, budget prompt
Meta Ads21%
9 of 42 labels negative · 7 of 6 models
“major platforms like YouTube and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) have strict advertising policies. Violations can result in harsh penalties, such as ad account suspension.” Mistral Small, negative prompt
Google Video Partners100%
6 of 6 labels negative · 6 of 6 models · 6 hard negative
“Google Video Partners (GVP) — Use with Extreme Caution ... roughly **80% of video ad placements** ... violated Google's own promised standards.” Kimi K2, negative prompt
YouTube Ads15%
7 of 46 labels negative · 6 of 6 models
“major platforms like YouTube and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) have strict advertising policies. Violations can result in harsh penalties, such as ad account suspension.” Mistral Small, negative prompt
What they cite
Citations exist only for the models that return a source list: fourteen of the six in this edition.
Sites the answers cite
75 of 84 answers in this category came back with a source list, from 14 of 6 models: citations where the model returns them, or the search results it consulted. 1021 links across 311 sites, every framing counted. Ranked by the number of answers carrying the site or page. None of the 36 answers across every segment cited this index's own page for the category.
vendor site · Vibe.co32 answers · 47 citations · 11 models
vendor site · Madgicx29 answers · 33 citations · 11 models
23 answers · 24 citations · 10 models
23 answers · 23 citations · 10 models
vendor site · Demandbase21 answers · 36 citations · 12 models
20 answers · 31 citations · 10 models
19 answers · 19 citations · 10 models
vendor site · Guideflow17 answers · 18 citations · 11 models
17 answers · 17 citations · 10 models
vendor site · Hey Sid15 answers · 27 citations · 11 models
15 answers · 26 citations · 8 models
vendor site · ZoomInfo15 answers · 24 citations · 9 models
Pages the answers cite
The ten pages named in the most answers, by full address. A page here is one the models returned with a recommendation, not one the index endorses.
27 answers · 11 models
26 answers · 11 models
23 answers · 10 models
21 answers · 10 models
18 answers · 9 models
17 answers · 12 models
17 answers · 10 models
12 answers · 9 models
12 answers · 9 models
10 answers · 7 models
Search against answers
Each company's standing in the answers beside its site's footprint in Google search, one row a site: the products the models named on it with their shares, and the share they add up to; monthly searches on Google, and DataForSEO's estimate of AI search demand (modeled from search signals, directional, not a count of queries to any assistant), for the most-searched of the company's and its products' names (the name is in each row's hover text); estimated monthly organic visits to the site; and its best position in Google's top ten for “best video advertising platform”, “video advertising platform”. US estimates from DataForSEO and Google's Ads Transparency Center. A small company's site, or a mid-sized company's site for its flagship, is marked company; a product on a large parent's site (Google, Microsoft) has no site figures. A column with no figures for this category is left out, and an empty cell means none were seen, not none exist. Two measurements side by side: neither is read as the cause of the other.
| Company and products | Share | Own site cited | Name searches, Google | AI search demand, est. | Organic visits | Paid search a month, est. | Google ads, last 30 days | Best Google position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StackAdapt stackadapt.com | 32% | 376 | 8,100 | 167 | 26,512 | $18,665 | 39 | |
| YouTube Ads youtube.com | 15% | 109 | 14,800 | 9,294 | 3,335,384,769 | $40 | 7 | |
| LinkedIn parent site LinkedIn Video Ads 11%, LinkedIn CTV Ads 2% | 13% | 37 | 11,100,000 | 77,031 | ||||
| Meta meta.com Meta Ads 11% | 11% | 171 | 49,500 | 1,504 | 9,891,853 company | $5,460 | 49 | |
| Vibe.co vibe.co | 8% | 71 | 1,900 | 4 | 13,556 | $75 | 60 | |
| LinkedIn linkedin.com LinkedIn Campaign Manager 6% | 6% | 123 | 11,100,000 | 77,031 | 331,033,472 company | $1,032 | 113 | 2 |
| Google parent site Google Display & Video 360 2%, Google Ads 2%, Google Video 2% | 6% | 168 | 550,000 | 15,818 | ||||
| MNTN | 2% | 450,000 | 336 | |||||
| TikTok Ads tiktok.com | 2% | 110 | 22,200 | 1,238 | 318,250,761 | $58,994 | 92 | |
| Reddit Ads reddit.com | 2% | 6 | 1 |
Google's top ten for the two searches hold 14 sites; 0 of them are among the sites the models cited here. The first result for “best video advertising platform” is reddit.com.
How they answered
Six framings of the same buying question, each sent to every model in a fresh session with search on. One row per model, so a row shows whether it held its answer under rewording, what it named when cost was the constraint, and what it argued against. Computed from the raw judge labels.ShowHide
How they answered
Six framings of the same buying question, each sent to every model in a fresh session with search on. One row per model, so a row shows whether it held its answer under rewording, what it named when cost was the constraint, and what it argued against. Computed from the raw judge labels.
ShowHideModelDirect“What is the best video advertising platform for a mid-market B2B company?”Paraphrase“Which connected TV and online video ads platform would you recommend to a mid-sized B2B company?”Comparative“What are the top video advertising platforms and how do they differ?”Budget-constrained“What is the best video advertising platform for a company with a limited budget?”Scale-constrained“We are a 500 person company evaluating a video advertising platform. What should we look at?”Negative“Which video advertising platforms should I avoid or be cautious about?”
Claude Opus 5no first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choicenothing named
Claude Opus 4.8no first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choicenothing named
GPT-6 Astrano first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choicenothing named
GPT-5.6 Solno first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choicenothing named
Gemini 3.1 Prono first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choicenothing named
Perplexity Sonar Prono first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choiceno first choicenothing named
Bold is the first choiceAlternatives are counted; the count opens them.What the answer argued against
The record
One row per call: the version string exactly as returned, whether the model searched, sources cited, and latency. Full answer text is in the free responses file. Download the record
Zero rows: every prompt, every model, every answer.
| Prompt | Model | Version string | Time (UTC) | Searched | Sources | Latency |
|---|
Normalization in this category
Every judgment call made between the raw labels and the numbers above, listed so it is visible and reversible.
ShowHide
Category-scoped readings
Amazon read as Amazon DSP
Facebook read as Meta Ads
Google/YouTube Ads read as Google Ads
Instagram read as Meta Ads
LinkedIn read as LinkedIn Video Ads
LinkedIn (Sponsored Content – Video) read as LinkedIn Video Ads
Meta read as Meta Ads
Meta (Facebook & Instagram Reels) read as Meta Ads
Meta (Facebook/Instagram Video Ads) read as Meta Ads
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) read as Meta Ads
Reddit read as Reddit Ads
Roku read as Roku Ads
Snapchat read as Snapchat Ads
TikTok read as TikTok Ads
TikTok (Ads Manager) read as TikTok Ads
YouTube read as YouTube Ads
YouTube (Google Ads – Video Campaigns) read as YouTube Ads
YouTube (Google Ads) read as YouTube Ads
YouTube (Google Video Ads) read as YouTube Ads
YouTube (via Google Ads) read as YouTube Ads
Unresolved, counted raw
"Boost Post" Features (Facebook/Instagram/X)
Adsproper.com
Amazon Ads Streaming TV
Cheap third-party video ad networks
Facebook Video Ads
Fyber
HilltopAds
Hulu Ads
LinkedIn Sponsored Video / LinkedIn Campaign Manager
Meta Ads - Facebook & Instagram
Meta's Audience Network
Microsoft
Netflix ad-tier
ProfitSence
Samsung Ads / TV Plus
SpotX (now part of Paramount)
The CMO Club
TikTok Advertising
TikTok's Audience Network
VidMob
Vimeo Ads
Walled-garden CTV platforms
Xumo
Discontinued, still offered
No shut-down product was recommended here.