How Much Does a 30-Second TV Commercial Cost in 2025?

by Melissa Yap

7 Min Read

TV advertising has typically been thought of as expensive and cumbersome. However, times have since changed, with technology and solutions helping advertisers overcome these common challenges.

This article will explore TV advertising costs, the difference between national and local TV ads, and how these costs are determined.

How Much Does a 30-Second TV Commercial Cost?

A 30-second TV commercial can range from $1,000 to well over $100,000, depending on factors like the network, time slot, production quality, and audience reach. Major networks like ABC, NBC, and FOX charge premium rates for primetime slots, while local stations and cable networks offer more budget-friendly options.

Example Cost Ranges

Local TV Ads: A few hundred to several thousand dollars
Cable Network Ads: Tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars
Major Network Primetime Ads: Hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars

Cost to Produce a TV Commercial

The cost to produce a TV ad consists of three phases:

Pre-Production

The creative and administrative work before filming begins in pre-production. Expect the majority of your budget to be spent here and on the following items:

Concept Development: Costs for creative brainstorming, scriptwriting, and storyboard creation.
Talent Hiring: Fees for hiring directors, scriptwriters, and any other creative professionals.
Casting: Costs associated with auditioning and hiring actors or voice-over artists.
Location Scouting: Expenses for finding and securing the right filming locations.
Set Design and Construction: Costs for designing, building, or renting sets.
Permits and Legal Fees: Expenses for necessary permits, legal clearances, and insurance.

Production

The shoot itself, also known as the video production process, runs as short or as long as needed to get the required footage. Here are a few of the cost drivers during this phase:

Equipment Rental: Costs for renting cameras, lighting, sound equipment, and other necessary technology.
Crew Salaries: Wages for the director, camera operators, sound engineers, lighting technicians, and other production staff.
Talent Fees: Payment for actors, extras, and voice-over artists.
Location Fees: Costs for renting the location(s) where the commercial is filmed.
Set Operation Costs: Expenses for set management, including electricity, catering, and transportation.
Costumes and Props: Costs for purchasing or renting costumes, makeup, and props.

Post-Production

Once the filming is over, there’s still a lot of work to do during post-production. Some of the costs incurred are:

Editing: Fees for video editors to assemble and edit the footage.
Special Effects and Graphics: Costs for any CGI, visual effects, or graphic design work.
Sound Mixing and Music Licensing: Expenses for audio editing, mixing, and licensing music or sound effects.
Color Correction: Costs for enhancing and correcting the color of the footage.
Distribution Preparation: This includes expenses for formatting the commercial for different TV standards and CTV platforms. Our guide on CTV ad specs covers this in detail.
Marketing and Testing: Costs for focus groups, test screenings, and promotional materials.

Cost to Air a TV Advertisement

So you’ve got your commercial ready. Now what?

TV advertising costs not only include the production itself but also navigating the media minefield to make sure that your dollars spent are getting your commercials on the air, on the right network, and at the right time.

Overall, your broadcast costs vary depending on the following factors:

Region

The broader the audience reach, the higher the cost—making national TV ad spots significantly more expensive than local placements. While local ads are more affordable, national campaigns often deliver a stronger return on investment with greater flexibility in ad lengths (15, 30, or 60 seconds).

Network

The network you choose has a direct impact on pricing, with premium events commanding the highest rates—like the Super Bowl, where a 30-second spot can cost over $7 million. A general rule of thumb: the bigger the audience, the steeper the price tag.

Time of Day

TV ad pricing fluctuates based on when an ad airs, with late peak (8–10:30 p.m.) being the most expensive, followed by early peak (5:30–8 p.m.), daytime (9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.), nighttime (11 p.m. and later), and breakfast slots (6–9:30 a.m.). Prime-time advertising can cost up to eight times more than a daytime slot due to higher viewership.

Day of Week

Weekend ad placements typically come with premium pricing, as higher-income audiences are more likely to be watching. However, weekday spots can also be strategic, as Cost Per Rating Point (CPP) varies by as much as 16% depending on the day.

Quantity of Expected Viewers

More viewers generally mean higher costs, but audience alignment matters more than sheer numbers. Instead of prioritizing network-first buying, brands should take an audience-first approach—especially as more consumers move from linear and cable TV to Connected TV.

Commercial Length

Most networks offer 15-, 30-, or 60-second ad slots, with longer commercials commanding higher prices due to increased airtime. However, on Connected TV, longer ads remain highly effective at holding audience attention and driving engagement.

Frequency

Ad frequency determines how often the same viewer sees a commercial—more impressions mean higher costs, but too much exposure can lead to ad fatigue. A smarter strategy is to prioritize reach over repetition, ensuring ads connect with new audiences rather than overserving the same viewers.

National vs Local TV Costs

Deciding between national and local TV advertising comes down to budget, audience reach, and campaign goals. Below, we break down the key cost differences to help advertisers determine the best fit for their strategy.

National TV Ad Costs

Advertising on national TV comes with a higher price tag, but it delivers unmatched reach and exposure across a broad, diverse audience.

Mass Audience Exposure: Higher costs due to the ability to reach millions of viewers across multiple markets.
Premium Time Slots: Prime-time placements on major networks cost significantly more due to high demand.
High-Production Value: National ads often require polished creative, special effects, and large-scale production.
Celebrity Endorsements: Partnering with well-known figures can add to the overall campaign budget.
Premium Media Buying Rates: National networks charge top-tier prices for ad space in widely viewed programs.

Local TV Ad Costs

Local TV advertising is a more budget-friendly option that allows brands to focus on specific markets and target regional audiences.

Geo-Targeted Reach: Lower costs since ads are limited to a specific city, region, or Designated Market Area (DMA).
Affordable Time Slots: Local news, community programs, and morning shows provide cost-effective placement opportunities.
Streamlined Production: Lower budgets are needed for simpler ad creative without high-end effects.
Local Talent & Resources: Using regional production teams and on-screen talent keeps costs manageable.
Flexible Media Buying: Local stations often offer more negotiable ad rates, providing opportunities for better deals.

Performance TV & Creative-as-a-Subscription™

TV advertising doesn’t have to come with unpredictable costs or wasted spend. MNTN Performance TV ensures every ad dollar works harder by targeting the right audience and delivering measurable results. Here’s how we make TV advertising more cost-effective:

Automated Optimization: Our AI-powered system continuously adjusts bidding and placements to maximize efficiency and reduce unnecessary ad spend.
MNTN Matched: Advanced audience targeting ensures your ads reach the most relevant, high-intent viewers—improving engagement and lowering acquisition costs.
Verified Visits™: Accurately track conversions by measuring site visits driven by your OTT ads, providing clear proof of ROI.
Creative-as-a-Subscription™: Access a steady stream of high-quality, data-driven CTV ads without the high costs of traditional production.
Flexible Budgeting: Set and adjust your ad spend in real time, ensuring you stay in control while maximizing every dollar.

Get more from your TV ad budget with MNTN’s self-serve software. Sign up today.

TV Advertising Costs: Final Thoughts

Many factors go into TV advertising costs, like timing, frequency, audience, networks, and more. However, not all TV formats are built the same, nor do they have the same ability to truly measure an ad’s impact.

Thankfully, advances in the TV advertising space have welcomed new entrants like Connected TV / OTT advertising into the mix, which employs an audience-first approach to deliver targeted ads that can be tied back to advertisers’ goals and provide a solid return on investment.

Want a Closer Look?

Discover how Performance TV delivers revenue, conversions and more through the power of Connected TV. Request a demo today to speak to an expert.