See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type
August 2025 - August 2026
Detailed observation of presented 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.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Entertainment industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
Improve your Facebook ad performance
• Instant performance insights – See which ads, audiences, and creatives drive results.
• Data-driven creative decisions – Spot patterns to improve ROAS.
• Effortless reporting – No spreadsheets, just clear insights.
All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
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.
Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.
Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.
Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.
If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
See how much it costs to get users to install an app