ITV Advertising Costs UK
How much does it cost to advertise on ITV?
ITV1 airtime is traded on cost per thousand (CPT). Across January to August 2026 the average ITV1 market CPT for Adults was £14.32, up 19.6% on 2025: about £14,320 for one million adult impacts with a 30-second ad. Turned into single 30-second spots, that is roughly:
| ITV1 30″ spot | Adults watching (typical) | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|
| One region, daytime | 30,000 – 80,000 | £430 – £1,150 |
| One region, peak | 250,000 – 500,000 | £3,600 – £7,200 |
| National, daytime | 300,000 – 600,000 | £4,300 – £8,600 |
| National, peak | 2 – 4 million | £28,600 – £57,300 |
Illustrative, at the average adult CPT and before any negotiated discount; peak usually trades above the average and daytime below it. Narrower audiences cost more: ABC1 Adults averaged £35.18 and Housewives with children £245.03. Month-by-month figures are in the ITV1 CPT index, and the wider picture across channels is in how much a TV advert costs in the UK.
How TV airtime is priced
UK TV is traded on CPT - the cost of buying 1,000 impacts against a defined target audience. You are not buying a slot at a listed price; you are buying delivery against an audience, and the price moves with what else is competing for that audience.
The four things that set your price
- Which audience you buy. A broad adult audience is cheaper per thousand than a narrow, in-demand one. Buying a tight demographic costs more per thousand and usually delivers fewer of them.
- When you buy it. Demand is seasonal. The same audience on the same channel costs materially more in the run-up to Christmas than in high summer.
- Spot length. A 30-second ad is the standard trading unit, priced at a factor of 1.00. A 10-second ad costs roughly half; a 60-second ad roughly double.
- Region and channel mix. A single ITV macro region costs a fraction of a national buy. Peak inventory on the biggest channels carries the highest CPT; daytime, smaller channels and BVOD carry less.
Because all four move at once, two campaigns with identical budgets can deliver wildly different results. That is the part worth scrutinising before you sign anything - not the headline price.
What the evidence says TV returns
The most robust UK dataset on this is Profit Ability 2, run for Thinkbox by Ebiquity, EssenceMediacom, Gain Theory, Mindshare and Wavemaker UK. It modelled 141 brands, £1.8bn of media spend, 10 channels and 14 sectors, 2021-2023 data.
Linear TV and BVOD together accounted for 54.7% of all advertising-generated profit in the study, with linear TV alone at 46.6%.
Source: Profit Ability 2, Thinkbox. These are cross-category averages from modelled econometrics, not a forecast for any individual brand. Your own return depends on category, creative, budget and how well the campaign is planned - which is exactly why it is worth modelling before you commit rather than after.
ITV advertising costs depend on the audience, region, timing, daypart, programme environment, campaign weight and whether the plan includes ITVX or other broadcaster VOD activity. The right cost question is not only what the airtime costs, but whether the schedule can deliver the advertiser’s objective.
What affects ITV advertising cost?
ITV airtime pricing can vary by season, audience demand, region, daypart, programme context and campaign objective. A national brand campaign may need reach and high-quality environments, while a DRTV test may focus more on response-friendly spots, efficient pricing and clear attribution.
ITVX can add streamed viewing and digital frequency around the linear schedule. It should be costed as part of the wider plan, with clear assumptions for impressions, targeting, completion, reach and reporting.
ITV cost planning checklist
- Campaign objective, target audience, geography, budget and launch timing.
- Linear ITV airtime role, region selection, daypart mix and programme environment.
- ITVX impressions, targeting, frequency and creative length.
- CPT, CPM, airtime pricing, discounts, added value and delivery assumptions.
- Comparison with Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky Media, UKTV, BVOD and CTV options.
- Measurement plan for reach, response, enquiries, search uplift, sales signals and ROI.
ITV costs for DRTV and response campaigns
For DRTV and response-led campaigns, ITV advertising costs should be judged against the quality of response evidence. That means looking at spot timing, audience fit, regional relevance, call handling, landing pages, search activity and cost per response.
The cheapest ITV airtime is not automatically the best value. A useful plan balances cost efficiency with enough delivery weight and audience relevance to produce learnings that can guide the next campaign.
Independent ITV cost review
Independent review can help advertisers understand whether an ITV proposal is priced sensibly, whether ITVX has a clear role and whether the plan is strong enough to meet the brief. It can also compare ITV costs with other broadcaster and connected TV routes.
Related guides: ITV advertising UK, ITVX advertising UK, TV advertising costs and TV airtime cost forecasting UK.
Common questions
How much does it cost to advertise on ITV?
ITV airtime is bought on cost per thousand against an audience, not from a fixed price list. The same 30-second slot has a different price depending on the audience you are buying, the month, the region and the programme. ITV1 peak against a broad adult audience is the most expensive inventory in UK TV; ITVX, daytime and regional buys cost materially less.
Can you buy ITV regionally?
Yes. ITV sells by macro region, which is the usual route in for advertisers testing TV or supporting a regional rollout. It cuts the cost of entry substantially against a national buy.
Get a second opinion before you commit the budget
Send us the proposal you have been given, or tell us what you are trying to do. We will tell you what the plan actually delivers, where the value is being lost and whether the price stacks up. No obligation, and no pitch deck.