United States · TV ad prices, YoY change
TV Advertising Price Inflation in the US
As of Sep 2026 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) Next update: Monthly, around the middle of the following month
How fast US television advertising prices are rising or falling year over year, from the official Producer Price Index for television advertising sales.
Are TV advertising costs rising in the US? The yearly change in prices for television advertising was 0.0% in September 2026, after -25.0% a year earlier, according to the Producer Price Index of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last twelve months the yearly rate averaged -12.8%.
Key takeaways
- The yearly change in US television advertising prices was 0.0% in September 2026, after -25.0% a year earlier, and -12.8% on average over the last twelve months.
- Election years push US TV ad prices up, because campaigns buy large amounts of TV time before the vote. The year after is compared against that peak, so the yearly rate swings in a two-year rhythm.
- Over the period shown, the yearly rate ranged from -28.0% in October 2025 to 14.2% in October 2024.
- This is the official inflation rate for television ad space and time, the offline counterpart to the internet advertising price index on this site.
- Comparing TV and internet ad inflation side by side shows which channel is getting more expensive faster, in the same units.
The data
| Period | TV ad prices, YoY change |
|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 0.0% |
| Aug 2026 | -6.5% |
| Jul 2026 | -6.6% |
| Jun 2026 | -9.0% |
| May 2026 | -10.2% |
| Apr 2026 | -10.3% |
| Mar 2026 | -14.9% |
| Feb 2026 | -16.8% |
| Jan 2026 | -15.7% |
| Dec 2025 | -16.4% |
| Nov 2025 | -19.7% |
| Oct 2025 | -28.0% |
| Sep 2025 | -25.0% |
| Aug 2025 | -20.4% |
| Jul 2025 | -16.0% |
| Jun 2025 | -15.6% |
| May 2025 | -16.1% |
| Apr 2025 | -19.4% |
| Mar 2025 | -18.3% |
| Feb 2025 | -20.6% |
| Jan 2025 | -8.7% |
| Dec 2024 | -8.4% |
| Nov 2024 | -3.2% |
| Oct 2024 | 14.2% |
| Sep 2024 | 7.7% |
| Aug 2024 | -0.3% |
| Jul 2024 | -5.3% |
| Jun 2024 | -6.3% |
| May 2024 | -7.3% |
| Apr 2024 | -7.5% |
| Mar 2024 | -6.7% |
| Feb 2024 | -3.4% |
| Jan 2024 | -14.4% |
| Dec 2023 | -16.5% |
| Nov 2023 | -25.2% |
| Oct 2023 | -26.4% |
| Sep 2023 | -23.0% |
| Aug 2023 | -20.1% |
| Jul 2023 | -16.9% |
| Jun 2023 | -16.3% |
| May 2023 | -20.4% |
| Apr 2023 | -17.2% |
| Mar 2023 | -17.5% |
| Feb 2023 | -14.1% |
| Jan 2023 | -8.1% |
| Dec 2022 | -6.4% |
| Nov 2022 | 5.9% |
| Oct 2022 | 7.0% |
| Sep 2022 | -0.2% |
| Aug 2022 | 2.9% |
| Jul 2022 | 0.0% |
| Jun 2022 | -4.1% |
| May 2022 | 3.8% |
| Apr 2022 | -2.7% |
| Mar 2022 | -4.9% |
| Feb 2022 | -5.5% |
| Jan 2022 | -5.2% |
| Dec 2021 | -5.7% |
| Nov 2021 | -12.4% |
| Oct 2021 | -16.7% |
What this means for e-commerce and DTC brands
Channel mix decisions need prices in comparable units, and this index puts TV on the same year over year footing as internet advertising. When digital auction prices inflate faster than TV year after year, the relative price of reach shifts and the case for testing television strengthens, and when the gap runs the other way it weakens. That is a budget allocation argument you can put in front of a CFO. The honest caveat belongs in the same breath: cheaper reach only pays if it converts, and TV's contribution is exactly the kind of effect that needs deliberate measurement rather than last-click reporting.
What this statistic does not tell you
The index measures the prices US sellers of television advertising receive in aggregate. It does not separate national from local inventory, upfront commitments from scatter buys, or dayparts, and none of it maps to a specific negotiated CPM. Streaming and connected TV inventory sold by digital platforms is generally captured under internet advertising rather than here, so the line reads mostly as traditional television. Political advertising in election years moves the index strongly, so compare an election year with the previous election year when you judge the trend. The series is not seasonally adjusted, which is why we show the year over year rate rather than month to month moves.
Frequently asked questions
Are TV advertising costs rising?
The yearly change in US television advertising prices was 0.0% in September 2026, after -25.0% a year earlier. Over the last twelve months the yearly rate averaged -12.8%, and over the period shown it ranged from -28.0% in October 2025 to 14.2% in October 2024.
Why do TV ad prices swing so much from year to year?
Political advertising. In US election years, campaigns and political groups buy large amounts of TV time in the weeks before the vote, which lifts prices for every advertiser. The following year is compared against that peak, so its yearly rate turns sharply negative even in a stable market. Between October 2021 and September 2026, prices were below the previous year's level in 53 of 60 months, and every exception came in the run-up to an election: four months in 2022, September and October 2024, and September 2026, when prices were flat on the year.
Does this tell me what a TV commercial costs?
No. It is a price index, not a rate card. It shows how fast the prices sellers of TV advertising receive are changing, not what a 30-second spot costs in a given market, daypart or program. Actual spot prices range from small local buys to millions of dollars for national events such as the Super Bowl.
Does this include streaming and connected TV?
Mostly not. The index covers television advertising sales as an industry commodity, while ad inventory sold by streaming platforms and digital sellers is generally measured under internet advertising. Treat this line as traditional TV.
How do I compare this with internet ad prices?
Both are Producer Price Indexes shown as year over year change, so the two lines are directly comparable. The gap between them shows which medium's inventory is getting more expensive faster at the market level.
Can this tell me whether TV is worth testing?
It tells you the price side only. Whether TV earns its place in the mix depends on measured incremental response, which is an attribution and testing question, not something a price index can answer.
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