CTV vs Broadcast TV: Cost Comparison for Law Firms

At first glance, broadcast TV CPMs look lower than CTV. But CPM doesn't tell the whole story. When you factor in targeting, waste, and measurement, the cost comparison shifts.

Headline CPM Comparison

Medium	Typical CPM
Broadcast TV (local)	$15-30
Cable TV	$12-25
CTV	$35-50

CTV looks more expensive. But CPM is cost per thousand impressions. It doesn't measure cost per relevant impression.

The Targeting Difference

What This Means

Broadcast reaches everyone in your DMA—including:

• People outside your service area
• People who will never need PI services
• Households with no relevance

CTV can focus on:

• Your specific service area
• Households with accident risk signals
• Relevant behavioral indicators

Effective CPM Calculation

Broadcast Example

• $20 CPM
• 500,000 impressions in DMA
• Only 20% in your actual service area
• Of those, maybe 30% have any relevance

Effective CPM on relevant impressions:

• Relevant impressions: 500,000 × 20% × 30% = 30,000
• Cost for 500,000: $10,000
• Effective CPM: $10,000 / 30 = $333

CTV Example

• $45 CPM
• 500,000 impressions
• 90% in your service area (targeted)
• 60% with behavioral relevance (targeted)

Effective CPM on relevant impressions:

• Relevant impressions: 500,000 × 90% × 60% = 270,000
• Cost for 500,000: $22,500
• Effective CPM: $22,500 / 270 = $83

CTV's higher CPM delivers lower effective cost per relevant impression. You're paying $45 CPM to reach 270K relevant households vs. $20 CPM to reach 30K. That's 9x the relevant reach for 2.25x the cost.

Measurement Value

Broadcast Measurement

• Did the ad air? Yes.
• How many saw it? Estimated (Nielsen panels).
• Did they respond? Unknown.
• Attribution to leads? Very difficult.

CTV Measurement

• Did the ad air? Yes, confirmed.
• Did they watch it? 94-96% completion rates.
• Did they respond? Verified visit tracking.
• Attribution to leads? Connected attribution.

CTV delivers 23% higher ROI than traditional TV. Partly because you can measure and optimize.

Production Cost Comparison

Same Creative Requirements

Both require professional TV commercials:

• 30-second primary spot
• Possibly 15-second cutdowns
• Professional production quality

Production Costs: Similar

• $15,000-35,000 for quality production
• Same regardless of where it airs
• CTV may require digital formatting

Production costs are essentially equal.

Minimum Investment Comparison

Broadcast Minimums

Market Size	Typical Monthly Minimum
Small DMA	$15,000-25,000
Mid DMA	$30,000-60,000
Major DMA	$75,000-200,000

Broadcast minimums driven by ad unit costs and flight requirements.

CTV Minimums

Market Size	Effective Monthly Minimum
Small DMA	$12,000-20,000
Mid DMA	$25,000-45,000
Major DMA	$50,000-80,000

CTV minimums are about achieving meaningful frequency, not unit costs.

CTV often has lower effective minimums—especially in major markets.

Flexibility Comparison

Broadcast Flexibility

• Committed flights (4-8 weeks typical)
• Cancellation penalties
• Limited mid-flight changes
• Fixed dayparts

CTV Flexibility

• Often month-to-month
• Pause/resume capability
• Real-time optimization
• Targeting adjustments

CTV provides significantly more flexibility.

Reach Comparison

Broadcast Reach

• Still reaches cord-holders
• Declining audience (21% decline since 2021 for broadcast)
• Older demographic skew
• Still substantial in some markets

CTV Reach

• 90% of households use streaming
• 44.8% of viewing is streaming
• Younger and growing audience
• Where viewership is trending

The audience has shifted to CTV. Following them isn't optional.

Total Cost of Ownership

Broadcast Annual Program

Category	Annual Cost
Media	$600,000
Production	$30,000
Trafficking	Included
Measurement	Limited
Total	~$630,000

Waste factor: High (broad targeting) Measurement: Poor Optimization: Limited

CTV Annual Program

Category	Annual Cost
Media	$500,000
Platform/management	$75,000
Production	$30,000
Tracking/attribution	$8,000
Branded search	$50,000
Total	~$663,000

Waste factor: Low (precision targeting) Measurement: Strong Optimization: Continuous

Similar total cost, very different value delivery. The question isn't "which is cheaper." It's "which generates more signed cases per dollar." Measurement answers that question, and only CTV provides it.

When Each Makes Sense

The Hybrid Question

Some firms run both:

• Broadcast for broad reach
• CTV for targeted precision
• Combined presence

This can work with sufficient budget. But don't run broadcast just because "we've always done it."

The Trend Direction

Viewership continues shifting:

• Streaming: 44.8% and growing
• Broadcast: 21.4% and declining
• Cable: 27.3% and declining

Following the audience to CTV isn't aggressive. It's necessary.

For detailed CTV costs, see How Much Does CTV Cost.

References

• IAB & Innovid. (2022). CTV takes center stage. https://www.iab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Innovid_CTV-Takes-Center-Stage.pdf
• Southern California News Group. (2025). Connected TV marketing stats 2025. https://www.socalnewsgroup.com/2025/05/06/connected-tv-marketing-stats-2025/
• Nielsen. (2025). Streaming reaches historic TV milestone. https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/streaming-reaches-historic-tv-milestone/
• Nielsen. (2025). Connected TV: Transforming advertising trends. https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2025/connected-tv-transforming-advertising-trends/