A TV commercial has two costs: making it and airing it. At a traditional agency, making a single 15-second spot often runs $5,000 to $15,000. Airtime is a separate bill that depends on the station, the market, the time slot and how many times it runs.
Production covers the script, crew, location, equipment, editing, color and sound. A traditional shoot carries a full crew and a long edit, and it usually ends with one finished spot in one format.
That is why one 15-second spot so often lands between $5,000 and $15,000 at a traditional agency. Celebrity talent, multiple locations or heavy effects push it higher.
Airtime is bought from the station, cable provider or streaming platform. Price follows audience size: a large metro in prime time costs far more than a small market late at night. Local cable and streaming let smaller businesses target by zip code and pay for fewer, better-placed airings.
Ask any seller for the cost per airing and the expected audience for that slot before you commit.
| Cost driver | Raises cost | Lowers cost |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 30 or 60 seconds | 15 or 6 seconds |
| Crew and shoot days | Multiple days, large crew | One day or no shoot |
| Formats | One spot re-edited later | All cuts planned up front |
| Airtime | Big market, prime time | Local cable, streaming by zip code |
AI-native production changes the first column. Bowen AI Strategy Group builds commercials through a script-first pipeline, so one engagement covers the TV cut plus social and streaming versions. We scope each project and put the number in writing before work starts.
At a traditional agency a single 15-second spot often costs $5,000 to $15,000 to produce, before any airtime.
No. Airtime is bought separately from the station, cable provider or streaming platform.
See our local guide: what video ads cost in Pittsburgh.
Tell us what you want to say and where it will run. We scope it and quote in writing.
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