TV Media Buying Glossary

This TV media buying glossary explains the language, abbreviations, calculations and industry bodies used in UK TV advertising, airtime buying, BVOD, connected TV and direct response TV planning.

Core TV media buying terms

• TV media buying: The process of selecting channels, dayparts, programmes, regions, platforms and audience weights, then negotiating and booking airtime or video inventory.
• TV planning: The strategic work before buying, including audience definition, campaign timing, budget setting, reach goals, frequency, response expectations and channel mix.
• Airtime: Commercial advertising time bought on TV channels or broadcaster platforms.
• Spot: One individual TV advert transmission.
• Spot length: The duration of an advert, commonly 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 or 90 seconds. Pricing is usually indexed to a 30 second equivalent.
• Break: A group of adverts shown between or within programmes.
• Position in break: Where the advert appears in a break. First and last positions can be more desirable and may attract a premium.
• Impacts: The number of times an advert is seen by viewers in a defined audience. One person seeing an advert three times equals three impacts.
• Reach: The number or percentage of different people exposed to a campaign at least once.
• Frequency: The average number of times reached viewers see the campaign.
• Coverage: Another way of describing campaign reach, often expressed as a percentage of the target audience.
• TVR: Television rating. One TVR equals 1% of a defined audience seeing a spot or campaign.
• GRP: Gross rating point. Usually the total ratings delivered by a campaign across all audiences or a broad buying audience.
• Target rating point: Rating points delivered against the specific target audience.
• CPT: Cost per thousand impacts. The standard UK TV buying measure for how much it costs to buy 1,000 impacts.
• CPM: Cost per thousand impressions. More common in digital video and connected TV, but similar in principle to CPT.
• CPP: Cost per rating point. The cost of buying one TVR or rating point.
• SOV: Share of voice. A brand’s share of advertising activity compared with competitors.
• SOS: Share of spend. A brand’s share of category advertising investment.
• Index: A comparison against an average. An index of 120 means 20% above average; an index of 80 means 20% below average.
• Affinity: How strongly a programme, channel or environment matches the target audience compared with the population average.
• Wastage: Impacts delivered outside the desired audience or geography.
• Duplication: The same people being reached across more than one channel, programme or platform.
• Incremental reach: Extra people reached by adding another channel, platform or daypart.
• Frequency cap: A limit on how often a viewer can be exposed to an ad, usually used in BVOD, CTV and digital video.
• Daypart: A time band such as breakfast, daytime, early peak, peak, late peak or late night.
• Peak: High-viewing evening airtime, often more expensive because audiences are larger.
• Off-peak: Lower-demand airtime outside peak periods, often used for efficient reach or response.
• Regional TV: Airtime bought in selected UK regions rather than nationally.
• National TV: Airtime bought across the whole broadcaster footprint or UK market.
• Solus: A placement where a message appears alone or in a less cluttered environment, depending on broadcaster format.
• Sponsorship: Brand association around a programme, strand or channel, usually using opening and closing credits and break bumpers.
• Clearance: The approval process for TV ads before broadcast, including compliance checks.
• Late copy: Creative material delivered close to transmission deadlines, which can create operational risk.
• Copy rotation: Instructions telling broadcasters which creative versions to run, and in what weight.
• Clock number: The unique identifier for a specific approved TV commercial.
• Post-campaign analysis: Review of delivered impacts, TVRs, CPT, reach, frequency, response and learnings after the campaign has run.

Buying calculations and formulas

TV buying calculations help compare channels, campaign weights and pricing. The most useful formulas are below.

CPT: cost per thousand impacts

Formula: CPT = media cost / impacts x 1,000.

Example: If a campaign costs GBP 50,000 and delivers 10,000,000 impacts, CPT = 50,000 / 10,000,000 x 1,000 = GBP 5.00.

CPM: cost per thousand impressions

Formula: CPM = media cost / impressions x 1,000. CPM is often used for BVOD, CTV, YouTube and online video comparisons.

CPP: cost per rating point

Formula: CPP = media cost / rating points.

Example: If GBP 30,000 buys 60 TVRs, CPP = GBP 500 per TVR.

TVRs from impacts

Formula: TVRs = impacts / target universe x 100.

Example: If a target audience universe is 20,000,000 adults and a campaign delivers 4,000,000 impacts, TVRs = 4,000,000 / 20,000,000 x 100 = 20 TVRs.

Impacts from TVRs

Formula: Impacts = TVRs x target universe / 100.

Average frequency

Formula: Average frequency = total impacts / people reached.

Example: If a campaign delivers 12,000,000 impacts and reaches 4,000,000 people, average frequency is 3.

Reach percentage

Formula: Reach % = people reached / target universe x 100.

Share of voice

Formula: Share of voice = brand activity / total category activity x 100. Activity can be spend, impacts, TVRs or impressions, depending on the analysis.

Response rate

Formula: Response rate = responses / impacts x 100, or responses / visits x 100 depending on the funnel stage being measured.

Cost per response

Formula: Cost per response = media cost / number of responses.

Cost per acquisition

Formula: CPA = media cost / number of acquired customers, sales, leads or sign-ups.

Return on ad spend

Formula: ROAS = revenue attributed to advertising / advertising cost.

Example: If a campaign generates GBP 300,000 revenue from GBP 60,000 media spend, ROAS = 5.0.

Spot length index

Many TV prices are expressed against a 30 second base. A 10 second spot may be priced at a lower index and a 60 second spot at a higher index, depending on broadcaster policy and campaign deal.

TV, BVOD and connected TV abbreviations

• ABC1: Social grade group often used for audience targeting.
• AB: Higher social grade audience group.
• AdSmart: Sky’s addressable TV advertising product.
• BARB: Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, the UK television audience measurement body.
• BVOD: Broadcaster video on demand, such as ITVX, Channel 4 streaming, Sky, UKTV/U and My5 environments.
• CTV: Connected TV, a television connected to the internet through smart TV apps, streaming devices or set-top boxes.
• DAGMAR: Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results, a planning framework sometimes referenced in marketing effectiveness.
• DRTV: Direct response television, TV advertising designed to generate measurable actions such as calls, visits, leads, app installs or sales.
• DSP: Demand-side platform used for buying programmatic media.
• EPG: Electronic programme guide.
• GRP: Gross rating point.
• HbbTV: Hybrid broadcast broadband TV, combining broadcast and broadband services.
• ITV: UK commercial broadcaster and sales house.
• ITVX: ITV’s streaming and BVOD platform.
• Linear TV: Scheduled broadcast TV watched at the time it is transmitted.
• OOH: Out of home advertising. Often compared with TV for reach planning.
• OTA: Over the air broadcast delivery.
• OTT: Over the top video delivered via the internet, often through apps or streaming platforms.
• PIN: Personal identification number; may be relevant to platform access or household controls, not a media metric.
• PPV: Pay per view.
• ROI: Return on investment.
• ROAS: Return on ad spend.
• SIM: Simulcast, where content is broadcast and streamed at the same time.
• SVOD: Subscription video on demand, such as Netflix or Disney+ subscription environments.
• TVR: Television rating.
• VOD: Video on demand.
• VTR: View-through rate, used more in digital video reporting.
• VAST: Video Ad Serving Template, used in digital video ad serving.
• VMAP: Video Multiple Ad Playlist, used to describe ad breaks in digital video.

Trading, booking and campaign delivery terms

• Agency deal: A negotiated agreement between agency and media owner that can influence pricing, value, access and trading terms.
• Approval: Broadcaster or clearance acceptance that an advert can run.
• Availability: The amount of inventory available to buy in a period, audience, region or channel.
• Campaign burst: A defined period of campaign activity, often one to six weeks.
• Campaign weight: The scale of activity, usually expressed in impacts, TVRs, spend or spot count.
• Clash code: A category code used to reduce unsuitable competitor proximity in breaks.
• Copy instruction: Detail sent to broadcasters confirming which creative should run against booked airtime.
• Late sales: Inventory bought close to transmission, sometimes at tactical rates depending on market conditions.
• Makegood: Compensation inventory if a spot fails to transmit correctly or delivery is materially short.
• Pre-emption: When a booked spot is moved or displaced, often because of scheduling or inventory pressure.
• Programme environment: The editorial context around the advert.
• Ratecard: Published or reference pricing before negotiation.
• Reconciliation: The process of comparing booked, transmitted, invoiced and delivered activity.
• Roadblock: Coordinated placement across several channels or platforms at the same time or around a key moment.
• Share deal: A deal based on a committed share of spend with a media owner.
• Station average price: Average cost across a channel, station or sales house.
• Transmission report: Proof of where and when spots transmitted.
• Value pot: Additional negotiated value, often used to improve delivery or support planning.

Audience and targeting terms

• Adults: A broad audience definition, often adults aged 16+ or 18+ depending on reporting source.
• Housewives with children: A traditional audience definition still found in some TV trading contexts.
• Men 16-34: A younger male audience group used for planning, sport and entertainment contexts.
• Women 25-54: A common consumer planning audience.
• Light TV viewers: People who watch less broadcast TV than average and may need different media routes to reach.
• Heavy TV viewers: People who watch more TV than average and are easier to reach through linear airtime.
• Addressable TV: TV advertising targeted to households or audience segments rather than only broad channel audiences.
• Household targeting: Targeting based on household-level characteristics, platform data or geographic attributes.
• Geo-targeting: Restricting delivery to selected locations, regions or postcodes.
• Retargeting: Serving follow-up advertising to people who have previously interacted with a brand or site.

Creative, clearance and compliance terms

• ASA: Advertising Standards Authority, the UK’s advertising regulator.
• BCAP Code: The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising, enforced by the ASA.
• Clearcast: The organisation that checks most UK TV adverts before broadcast.
• Substantiation: Evidence required to support claims made in advertising.
• Supers: On-screen small print or qualifying text.
• Legal hold: A delay while copy, claims or approvals are checked.
• Watershed: The post-9pm period used for content and scheduling rules around adult material.
• HFSS: High fat, salt or sugar food and drink advertising category, subject to specific regulation.
• Gambling compliance: Rules affecting betting, gaming and casino advertising, including audience, timing and messaging controls.
• Financial promotions: Regulated advertising for financial products and services.

UK TV advertising industry bodies and useful organisations

• Advertising Association: UK industry body representing advertising and its economic and social role.
• ASA: Advertising Standards Authority, regulator for advertising standards in the UK.
• BARB: The UK’s television audience measurement body.
• BCAP: Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, responsible for the UK broadcast advertising code.
• CAP: Committee of Advertising Practice, responsible for non-broadcast advertising rules.
• Clearcast: TV advertising clearance body used by most major UK commercial broadcasters.
• IPA: Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, professional body for UK advertising, media and marketing agencies.
• ISBA: Incorporated Society of British Advertisers, representing UK advertisers.
• IAB UK: Trade body for digital advertising, relevant to BVOD, online video and connected TV.
• Thinkbox: Marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, providing TV advertising research and effectiveness resources.
• Ofcom: UK communications regulator, covering broadcasting, telecoms and media regulation.
• Radiocentre: Commercial radio industry body, often considered alongside TV in audio-visual planning.
• Outsmart: UK out-of-home advertising marketing body, useful for reach comparisons with TV and video.
• WARC: Marketing effectiveness and advertising intelligence resource often used for campaign learning and evidence.

Broadcaster and platform terms

• ITV: Commercial broadcaster and sales house covering ITV channels and ITVX.
• Channel 4: Commercial broadcaster with linear channels and streaming inventory.
• Sky Media: Sales house for Sky channels, partner channels and Sky AdSmart.
• UKTV / U: Broadcaster group with linear channels and streaming environments.
• Channel 5 / Paramount: Commercial broadcaster group including Channel 5 and related streaming inventory.
• Amazon Ads: Advertising options around Amazon streaming, retail data and connected TV environments.
• YouTube: Online video platform often compared with BVOD and CTV in reach planning.
• Netflix ads: Advertising-supported inventory available in selected subscription tiers and markets.
• Disney+ ads: Advertising-supported streaming inventory in eligible markets and subscription tiers.

Measurement and attribution terms

• Attribution: The process of estimating which media activity contributed to a response or sale.
• Baseline: Expected sales, visits or response without the campaign.
• Brand uplift: Measured improvement in awareness, consideration, favourability or intent after advertising.
• Econometrics: Statistical modelling used to estimate the contribution of media and other factors to business outcomes.
• Incrementality: The extra outcome caused by advertising that would not otherwise have happened.
• Lift test: A test comparing exposed and unexposed groups, or test and control regions.
• Matched market test: A test comparing similar regions with different media weights.
• Pixel: Tracking tag used in digital environments to record activity.
• Promo code attribution: A response method using codes to connect demand to campaign activity.
• Search uplift: Increase in brand or category search demand during or after a TV campaign.
• Web response: Website visits, sessions, leads or sales that occur after TV advertising.

Common TV buying questions

What is a good TV CPT?

A good CPT depends on audience, channel mix, demand, seasonality, spot length, programme environment and whether the campaign is brand-led or response-led. A cheap CPT is not always better if it delivers the wrong audience or poor response.

What is the difference between CPT and CPM?

CPT and CPM both describe cost per thousand exposures. CPT is the traditional UK TV term based on impacts. CPM is more common in digital video, BVOD and CTV reporting.

What is the difference between impacts and reach?

Impacts count total ad views. Reach counts different people reached. A campaign can have high impacts but lower reach if the same people see the advert many times.

What is the difference between linear TV and BVOD?

Linear TV is scheduled broadcast viewing. BVOD is broadcaster video on demand, usually watched through apps, websites, smart TVs or connected devices.

For planning support, see traditional TV advertising, BVOD advertising, connected TV advertising and TV advertising costs.