£50,000 For A First TV Campaign: How We Would Split It
Hundreds of UK brands spend under £50,000 a year on TV. How we would divide a first-campaign budget between regions, linear, streaming and a reserve.
In 2025, 598 UK advertisers spent less than £50,000 on TV across the whole year, according to Thinkbox. For many first-time advertisers, £50,000 is the budget that makes TV a serious test rather than a token one. Here is roughly how we would approach it. Every plan is different, so treat this as a starting framework, not a quote.
1. Choose one or two regions, not the country
£50,000 nationally buys about 3.5 million ITV1 adult impacts at average 2026 prices. That is noticeable but thin. In one or two well-chosen regions the same money builds strong frequency, and leaves another region untouched as a comparison. Regions where your customers are, at a sensible price, beat London unless London is your market (regional prices).
2. A rough split
- About 60–65% linear TV in the chosen regions, for reach. Mostly daytime and early peak, with some peak if the audience needs it.
- About 20–25% BVOD or Sky AdSmart in the same areas, for frequency among lighter TV viewers and tighter targeting.
- About 10–15% held back as a reserve, released in week two or three into whatever is working best.
The reserve is the most important line in a first-campaign budget. It is how you act on what you learn.
3. Run long enough to learn
Three to four weeks on air is usually more useful than one big week. It lets you see the response build, cut what isn’t working and move the reserve.
4. Agree the measure first
Decide before booking how you will judge success: sales in the test region against the comparison region, web traffic, calls or store visits. Our regional testing guide explains how to set that up.
5. Budget for the ad separately
Keep production out of the media budget. A clear, simple ad is enough for a first campaign.
Why prices matter this year
ITV1 adult prices are up about 20% on 2025 and Q4 is always the dearest quarter. If you have flexibility, January to March usually stretches a first budget further than November and December.
The independent buyer’s view
A first campaign is a test of whether TV works for you, not a bet on the whole business. Built properly, it gives you an answer you can scale. Ask us for a costed plan.
Independent, senior TV buying advice for UK advertisers — no unnecessary agency layers. Get a clear view of what to buy, why it is worth buying and what a fair price looks like.
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