A good CPM depends on the channel: $1 to $4 on open-web display, $8 to $20 on YouTube and TikTok, $13 to $14 median on Meta in 2026, $30 to $45 on LinkedIn, $20 to $45 on connected TV, and $18 to $30 for a host-read podcast spot. Within a channel, a CPM is good when it buys the audience you want at a frequency you can afford.
What moves it
CPMs rise with audience narrowness, competition (the fourth quarter runs 30 to 50 percent above the first), premium placements, video, and viewability guarantees. They fall with broad targeting, automatic placements, and remnant inventory. A low CPM on inventory nobody sees is the most expensive media there is.
Programmatic display and video benchmarks, September 17, 2026
| Display CPM | $1 to $4 open auction; $5 to $15 on private marketplaces and premium publishers |
| Online video CPM | $10 to $25 |
| Native CPM | $3 to $10 |
| Viewability | 60 to 75 percent typical for display after optimization; 70 to 80 percent for video |
Sources and every other channel: Programmatic display and video benchmarks.
Run your own numbers with the CPM calculator.
Agency Echelon. "What is a good CPM?" Agency Echelon Reference, reviewed September 2026. https://agencyechelon.com/reference/questions/what-is-a-good-cpm/