Compare lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
The headline: Entertainment cost-per-lead (CPL) across all countries ran materially lower than the global benchmark but showed extreme month-to-month swings — a story of frequent declines, sharp rebounds and two outsized spikes. This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Entertainment in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
From July 2025 to July 2026 Entertainment CPL averaged about $31.25, starting at $23.01 (Jul‑2025) and finishing at $27.06 (Jul‑2026), a net lift of roughly +18% from the opening month. The series ranged from a low of $8.61 in January 2026 to a high of $75.78 in March 2026 — a nearly 8.8x swing between trough and peak. Volatility was high: the standard deviation was roughly $16 (about 51% of the mean), and the average month-to-month absolute swing was about $17.50.
Monthly highlights: modest increases through late 2025 led into a December bump to $44.87, then a dramatic January collapse to $8.61. February recovered into the low‑20s before a sharp surge to $75.78 in March. Spring moderated — April/May sat in the $35–40 band — then June fell back to $13.02 ahead of a July rebound to $27.06. These movements create a jagged curve rather than a steady trend.
The rhythm here is choppy rather than smooth. Late‑year activity moved upward into December, followed by an unusually deep January trough and a volatile Q1 with a March spike. Spring showed partial normalization, while early summer featured another trough in June and a summer rebound by July. This pattern contrasts with more evenly paced seasonal behaviors many marketers expect (for example, Q4 competition-driven lifts and early‑Q1 lulls); instead, Entertainment CPL in All countries available delivered abrupt lifts and drops across the 13‑month window.
Against the baseline, Entertainment CPL was generally below global levels. The global benchmark averaged about $44.10 over the same period, so the Entertainment series trailed by roughly 29% on average. Most months the gap was substantial: Entertainment costs were 30–80% below the global benchmark through much of the year, with the narrowest differences in December (roughly 1% below) and April (about 3% below). Two exceptions stand out: March 2026, when Entertainment CPL exceeded the global benchmark by about +50%, and July 2026 (+30%). Volatility comparison further emphasizes divergence: Entertainment CPL’s standard deviation (~$16) was about double the baseline’s (~$8), indicating the Entertainment channel was materially more volatile than the broader benchmark.
Throughout the period, these CPL patterns sit alongside other marketing indicators — Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis and CTR performance — and interact with broader country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance dynamics.
Understanding cost-per-lead benchmarks for Entertainment across All countries available provides a data-rich view of seasonal choppiness and relative pricing versus the global market. This CPL-focused look complements broader Facebook Ads benchmarks and other signals used to interpret industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. In the Entertainment industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPL values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
The dataset updates as new ad data is available.
A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.
Weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that does not resonate can raise CPL. Low engagement or poor landing-page conversion rates can also increase costs.
Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate less expensive, more qualified leads than traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook uses the optimization signal to find users.
Improve the offer, target the right audience, and use high-converting creative. Test native lead forms while continuing to qualify users.
For sales or revenue goals, optimize for deeper-funnel conversions. Optimizing for leads alone can increase volume while reducing quality.
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