Every top result for this question is written by someone selling production, and each one quotes its own range. We sell video too, so here's what we did differently: we put the numbers side by side, named where each one comes from, and dated them. Prices change, so check the sources before you sign anything.
How much does it cost to make a 30-second commercial?
Here's how Simulmedia, a company that sells TV advertising, breaks down production costs in its guide (updated February 2026):
| Type of commercial | Typical production cost |
|---|---|
| Local | $3,000 to $15,000 |
| Regional | $15,000 to $50,000 |
| National (standard) | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| Celebrity or premium | $500,000 to $1 million+ |
Source: Simulmedia, "TV ad production costs" (published May 2025, updated Feb 9, 2026). The guide doesn't say how the ranges were measured, so read them as one seller's estimate, not a survey.
The other production-company guides ranking for this question on November 6, 2026 landed in the same neighborhood: simple local spots in the low-to-mid thousands, polished national spots in the tens of thousands and up. Nobody in the business publishes a neutral, survey-based average, so be wary of anyone who sounds too precise.
What makes a commercial cost more?
Commercials get expensive for the same reasons movies do: people and days. The big levers:
- Shoot days. Every day on set pays a crew, gear, insurance and food. One day versus three can be the whole difference between a local and a regional budget.
- Talent. Union actors, voice actors and anyone famous cost more, and some contracts pay again each time the ad runs.
- Locations and sets. Your shop is cheap. A closed street, a permit or a built set isn't.
- Music. Licensing a known song can cost more than the shoot. Original or library music is far cheaper.
- Revisions. Each round of changes after the shoot means more editing hours, and reshoots are the most expensive revision there is.
- Versions. A 30-second TV cut, a 15-second cut, and vertical cuts for TikTok and Reels are each extra work.
How much does it cost to make a 1-minute commercial?
More than double a 30, usually, but not because of the minutes. A longer spot needs more scenes, more setups and more editing, so shoot days and post-production grow. If you only need the length for the web, ask for a 30-second version with a longer online cut made from the same shoot. That's often the cheapest way to get both.
How much does it cost to air a commercial?
Airtime is billed on top of production, and it swings wildly by market and time of day. Simulmedia's same guide gives these local ranges for a 30-second spot:
| Market size (by DMA rank) | Cost per spot |
|---|---|
| Small markets (151 to 210) | $200 to $1,500 |
| Mid markets (51 to 150) | $500 to $3,000 |
| Large markets (1 to 50) | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Top 10 markets | $5,000 to $50,000+ |
At the very top end, CNBC reported that advertisers paid as much as $10 million for 30 seconds during Super Bowl LX in February 2026 (CNBC, Feb 10, 2026).
Most small businesses don't start on TV at all. They run the same video as a social ad, where you set the daily budget yourself and can stop anytime.
Is video worth it for a small business?
The best yearly numbers come from Wyzowl, a video company that has surveyed marketers and consumers for 12 years. Its 2026 report (266 respondents, surveyed late 2025) found:
- 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.
- 82% of video marketers say video gives them a good return on investment, down from 93% in 2025.
- 85% of people say a video has convinced them to buy something.
Source: Wyzowl, Video Marketing Statistics 2026. Wyzowl sells video production, so treat it as an industry survey, not independent research.
What does an AI-made commercial cost?
AI changes the cost of the camera, not the cost of good ideas. Here's how pricing works at Madwackd Studio, with no crew day involved:
| Option | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Make it yourself in the studio | Plans from $29/month (see pricing) | Short social ads and clips you direct yourself, with a price shown before every render |
| Done-for-you ad spot | From $2,500 | A finished spot planned, made and revised by a producer |
| Custom music video | From $5,000 | Artists and brands who want a full story, like the two in our Video Vault |
| High-end commercial | Quoted, often $20,000 to $30,000+ | Multi-scene campaigns with many versions |
An honest comparison: an AI clip is not the same thing as a crew-shot national spot with real actors on a real set. What it can do is let a small business test an idea for the price of lunch, then put real money behind the version that works. If you'd rather hand the whole thing off, our human producers plan it with you.
How to keep your commercial budget under control
- Write one sentence first: who it's for, the one thing you want them to do, and why now.
- Decide where it runs before you decide how it looks. A vertical social ad and a TV spot need different shoots.
- Get every price in writing up front, including revisions, music and extra cuts.
- Test small, then scale. Run two or three short versions on social and put the budget behind the winner.
- Plan where the clicks go. An ad that sends people to a slow or confusing page wastes the spend. Search Converts, part of the Madwackd family, builds landing pages made to turn ad clicks into leads.