What is CPT in TV advertising?

CPT (Cost Per Thousand) is the price paid for every 1,000 verified viewers (impacts) reached by your TV advert. CPT campaigns pay for audience delivery rather than fixed slots.

TVR (Television Rating) is the percentage of a target audience that watched a programme or advert. Campaigns are commonly planned/bought using TVRs.

Impacts are the number of times an advert is viewed. One person watching twice equals two impacts. TV delivery is sold and reported in thousands of impacts.

Clearcast checks UK TV adverts on behalf of broadcasters to ensure compliance with UK law, OFCOM licence conditions and ASA/BCAP codes. Approval and a clock number are required to air.

Sky AdSmart is addressable TV—ads can be targeted to specific household attributes while still appearing on national channels, improving efficiency and reducing wasted reach.

What is ITVX Local vs National?

ITVX National delivers UK-wide on-demand reach; ITVX Local focuses delivery regionally, useful for tests, retail catchments or phased rollouts while retaining ITV inventory quality.

TV Advertising Jargon Explained | UK TV Glossary (CPT, TVR, Clearcast & More)

Contents

Core Advertising Terms · Buying & Measurement · Broadcast & Compliance · Production Roles · Modern TV Terms · Data & Analytics

Core Advertising Terms

Foundations

Advertising: The process of communicating your product or service to potential customers. In TV, adverts build awareness, generate response and drive sales.
TV Commercial / TV Ad / TVC: Different names for the TV advert itself.
TV Media Buying: Buying advertising exposure on TV channels via CPT (audience-based) or fixed spot placements.

Buying & Measurement Terms

How exposure and cost are tracked

CPT - Cost Per Thousand: Price per 1,000 verified viewers (impacts). You pay for audience delivery, not just slot counts.
CPL - Cost Per Lead: Campaign cost divided by responses generated (e.g., £500 for 10 leads = £50 CPL).
Impacts: Number of advert views. One person watching twice = two impacts. Reported in thousands.
TVR - Television Rating: Percentage of a target audience that watched a programme/advert. TVRs underpin planning.
Universe: Total population of a viewing category (e.g., Adults 16+). You pay only for the delivered portion.
Dayparts (Time Bands): Time-of-day groupings: daytime, peak, late. Peak is pricier due to higher viewing.

Broadcast & Compliance Terms

Channels and approvals

Broadcasters: TV channels (ITV, Channel 4, Sky, UKTV). Agencies negotiate better rates/placements on your behalf.
Clearcast: Approves/rejects adverts for compliance with ASA/BCAP rules and OFCOM licence conditions.
Clock Number: Unique advert identifier (e.g., CTS/MCMP001/030) showing producer/advertiser/campaign/version/duration.
Compliance: Legal requirement for pre-clearance before broadcast—includes claim substantiation and script/master approval.

Production Roles

Who does what on set

DOP - Director of Photography: Owns the visual style; works with director and lighting to achieve the look.
Gaffer: Leads lighting design and implementation.
Set Designer: Responsible for props, layout and the visual scene (excluding actors).
Pre-Production / Production / Post-Production: Planning and approvals → Filming → Editing, colour, sound, motion graphics, delivery.

Modern TV Advertising Terms

Addressable, on-demand & response

AdSmart: Sky's addressable advertising—target specific households while airing on national channels.
Linear TV Advertising: Traditional scheduled broadcast (no viewer control over show time).
Time-Shift / On-Demand: Recorded/streamed later (Sky+, Virgin, ITVX, All 4). Addressable buys typically charge on view-through thresholds.
ITVX (National/Local): ITV's on-demand platform with both UK-wide and regional delivery for reach and precision.
QR Code: Scannable code in adverts that drives to sites/offers and supports tracking/attribution.

Data & Analytics

From exposure to outcomes

CAIT - Concept Advertising Intelligence: Our software that interprets response data to identify cost-effective strategies and patterns.
Response Instance / Response Schedule: A specific moment a response occurs (QR scan, visit, call) linked to a particular ad airing.
NVM - Narrow View Metrics: Comparative data slices to analyse performance by category, time or demographic.

Why this matters

Turn jargon into better buying decisions

Understanding TV advertising jargon helps you choose the right buying method, build compliant creative and measure outcomes accurately—whether you're booking a low-cost CPT campaign, exploring AdSmart targeting or building a hybrid linear + on-demand strategy.

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