Typical local/agency spot pricing for TV advertising has always been based on a 30-second spot at the standard $9-12 CPM level. Typical radio advertising pricing has always been based on a 60-second spot about 75% of the time and a 30-second spot 25% of the time. The standard CPM level for 60-seconds of radio airtime has also traditionally been in the $9-12 CPM range. And theoretically, if you wanted to run a 120-second TV spot, they would want 3X the standard rate (playing by the stations rules).
Still confused? Why would they want 3X the rate when it’s 4X as much airtime? A 30-second CPM of $10 would only be $30 for 120-seconds instead of $40? Nobody ever accused TV and radio stations of being logical 🙂 Based on many years of watching the industry, they typically charge 3X the rate for a 120-second spot. I assume their reasoning is because they do not sell a 90-second spot so they charge double for a 60 and triple for a 120.
Of course with our wholesale media buying auction those pricing games are irrelevant. We make offers to the stations for the length of spot you want to run, the frequency and bulk package that gives you proper frequency and splash, within the budget you can afford to pay. They can either take your offer, or leave it. Except for some tough political advertising seasons (and this year with Trump-Biden was not as tough as Obama-McCain in 2008) there are plenty of hungry stations willing to accept your wholesale offers.
If you would like to learn more about how TV and radio advertising baselines and pricing is calculated from city-to-city and market-to-market please click on this highly popular blog post: What is a Fair Price per Spot?
If you would like to see some commercials we have aired over the last 14-years please click on one of the following two links:
Aired TV Commercials – Wholesale Airtime Auction
Aired Radio Commercials-Wholesale Airtime Auction