---
title: "TV advertising: how much it costs and how it works"
description: "TV ad pricing, addressable TV, GRP buying and cost factors. Understand how a TV campaign works and what it costs in 2026."
url: "https://publicitefrance.com/en/blog/publicite-tv-prix/"
lang: en
translated_from: "https://publicitefrance.com/blog/publicite-tv-prix/"
category: "Media"
publisher: "PubliCité France"
updated: "2026-08-02"
keywords: ["TV advertising cost", "TV ad price", "addressable TV", "GRP buying"]
---

# TV advertising: how much it costs and how it works

**In short:** a TV spot's price depends mainly on the **audience** of the break (time, channel, programme) and the **duration** of the spot. Addressable TV now allows household-level targeting, making TV accessible to smaller budgets.

## How TV advertising is sold
Historically, TV is sold by **advertising break**: the higher the expected audience (prime time, major channel, unifying programme), the higher the price. The reference metric is the **GRP** (Gross Rating Point), expressing advertising pressure on a target.

## Price factors
- **Time slot**: prime time (evening) is the most expensive.
- **Channel and programme**: audience and affinity with the target.
- **Spot duration**: 20, 30 seconds or more.
- **Seasonality**: some periods (holidays) are tighter.

## The addressable-TV revolution
**Addressable TV** allows different spots to be delivered by household (location, profile). As a result, you can do TV without buying a national audience, opening the medium to local or budget-limited advertisers.

## FAQ
**Is TV advertising only for big brands?**
Less and less: addressable TV and shorter formats make the medium accessible to smaller budgets, notably for local targeting.

**What is GRP?**
The Gross Rating Point measures a campaign's advertising pressure on a target: it's the reference unit of TV buying.

**Is TV still effective against digital?**
Yes, for reach and brand building. Many plans combine TV (awareness) and digital (performance).

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*PubliCité France — blog, Media. Ask a sales house or media agency for a costed media plan. French version: /blog/publicite-tv-prix/*