If you're looking for the cost of YouTube ads, you're in the wrong place—we track the cost of social media ads, including YouTube ads, on our Social Media CPM Tracker.
Instead, this article is about the cost of advertising on YouTubeTV, a streaming television service that offers live TV, on-demand video, and cloud-based DVR from more than 85 television networks, including the major broadcast networks in the United States. It's designed as an alternative to traditional cable or satellite television subscriptions. Subscribers can watch live sports, news, shows, and can record their favorite programs with unlimited storage space on YouTube TV's cloud DVR. The service is accessible on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and smart TVs. YouTube TV also offers features like multiple simultaneous streams and a family sharing option, where multiple members of a household can have their own personal accounts under one subscription.
Advertising on YouTubeTV can be much more valuable—and expensive—than advertising on YouTube. Why?
Targeted Audience and Premium Content: YouTube TV offers access to live television from major networks, attracting an audience that is more similar to traditional TV viewers. This audience is often perceived as more valuable to advertisers due to their potential interest in higher-quality, premium content.
Engagement Levels: Unlike ads on YouTube, ads on YouTubeTV are un-skippable and you have the viewer's undivided attention while the ad plays, as opposed to YouTube ads, where there are options to click out to other videos. Viewers on YouTubeTV are typically more engaged, as they are watching long-form content and live broadcasts, like sports and news. This higher engagement can lead to a greater impact of ads, making the advertising space more valuable.
Limited Ad Space: Unlike regular YouTube, where there is a vast amount of content and ad inventory, YouTube TV has limited ad space due to the nature of broadcast content. This scarcity can drive up the cost of ads.
They can be, yes. In contrast with YouTube ads, which can be bought via a self-service portal on Google Ads, YouTubeTV ads are more expensive and difficult to purchase. In 2024, the only way to purchase guaranteed inventory on YouTubeTV is to buy through Google directly, with a $35,000 budget minimum. Inventory base rates for YouTubeTV ads begin at a $32.28 CPM (cost per mille, or cost per thousand impressions), but the rates increase by an additional $5 for each demographic and audience targeting overlay.
Gupta Media can help you advertise on YouTubeTV via Google's managed services. Shoot us an email to find out how YouTubeTV ads can drive growth for your business.