The news: OpenAI is asking advertisers to pay premium TV rates for what is still a basic digital ad product. Initial ads in ChatGPT are expected to cost about $60 per 1,000 views, comparable to live NFL games and targeted streaming inventory, per The Information. 

The company is using premium pricing to do two things at once: Boost revenues to offset spending and set a high anchor price ahead of a larger advertising expansion.

Why it’s worth watching: OpenAI’s ad pricing comes in far above Meta’s, where CPMs average under $20. Meta’s typical CPM range is $10 to $15, with a “typical maximum” of $15 to $20 and an “extreme maximum” above $20, per Affect Group.

It can charge more because ChatGPT sits earlier in customers’ decision cycle. Prompts often show raw, brand-open intent, like “durable winter boots,” before a shopper commits to a retailer, keyword, or brand list.

OpenAI’s early advertiser outreach is going directly to large, established brands via agencies rather than building the business on small advertisers, per The Information. The ads, which will appear at the bottom of ChatGPT responses, will be clearly labeled and separated from organic answers—prioritizing trust while testing commercial viability.

The challenge: Early reporting is expected to include impressions and total clicks, not the deep context marketers use to justify premium spend at scale—like what prompt triggered the ad, what ChatGPT answered, and whether the ad led to a purchase.

Without query-level intent visibility and conversion tracking, brands can’t optimize confidently or validate what the channel is worth.

Implications for marketers: ChatGPT ads are expensive, but they put brands inside the moment a consumer is still deciding. That’s the benefit, but the risk is paying NFL-level rates for TV-style reporting. 

Recommendations:

• Test early to gain first-mover advantage. Low competition could make $60 CPMs tolerable.
• Choose categories you want ads to appear in, test different creative for common prompts, and watch whether more people start searching for your brand or product by name.
• Demand proof fast. If OpenAI can’t tie exposure to downstream outcomes, budgets won’t scale.

ChatGPT ads bring fresh opportunities for advertisers but also force them to relearn measurement in a channel where intent is clear and proof is still catching up.

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