Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all countries, Media CPMs traced a clear climb through 2025, rising from a modest January base to a pronounced Q4 peak, then resetting sharply in January 2026. Compared with the all‑industry global benchmark, the Media category generally priced below market but briefly ran above it in October. The year’s rhythm is classic ad-market seasonality—gradual lift, a midsummer lull, then a Q4 surge—though the magnitude of the January pullback was unusually steep for Media.
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 Media across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Media CPM started 2025 at $12.48 and ended December at $21.69, a 74% rise across the year. The series peaked at $23.19 in November, with October close behind at $22.73. The 2025 average came in at $18.13, rising to a $22.54 average in Q4. Including the January 2026 reset, the 13‑month average lands at $17.12.
Month by month, the category marched higher in Q1–Q2 ($12.48 → $18.09 by June), softened in July ($16.57), then rebuilt through late summer (August–September around $19). The strongest stretch was Q4, where CPMs rose to $23.19 in November before easing to $21.69 in December. The standout move was January 2026 at $4.98—down 77% from December and the lowest point of the entire period.
Volatility within 2025 averaged a $1.44 month‑to‑month absolute change in CPM, with the largest intra‑year swing in October (+$3.72). Including the January 2026 reset lifts average volatility to $2.72 due to that single, sharp step‑down.
The pattern aligns with familiar Meta/Facebook Ads benchmarks: softer costs in early Q1, firming through spring, a short summer dip, and a Q4 elevation as competition intensifies. In this Media series, July marked the soft patch, followed by a steady late‑summer rebuild and a strong October–November crest. Performance typically softens through Q1 as competition rises in Q4, with engagement and pricing often realigning early the following year—here reflected in the unusually deep January 2026 trough.
Relative to the all‑industry global baseline, Media CPMs averaged about 10% lower in 2025 ($18.13 vs. $20.15). The gap was widest in January 2025 (−30% vs. market), narrowed steadily into spring (−4% in April), and flipped briefly “above market” in October (+5%). November reverted to −8% below the benchmark, and December closed nearly in line (−2%). In Q4, Media averaged $22.54 compared with the global $22.98—only slightly lower.
Trend momentum differed: Media climbed faster across 2025 (+74% from January to December) than the global all‑industry index (+24%). However, Media was also more volatile. Within 2025, average monthly swings were $1.44 for Media versus $1.21 globally; counting January 2026 lifts those to $2.72 and $1.63 respectively, reflecting a sharper Media reset (−77% vs. −29% for the market).
At its narrowest, Media ran 2% below the market (December) or 5% above it (October). At its widest within 2025, it trailed by 30% (January), and by 68% in January 2026.
This CPM analysis shows that Facebook Ads benchmarks for the Media industry across all countries generally sat below the all‑industry market in 2025, accelerated more sharply into Q4, and then reset harder in January. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-thousand-impressions benchmarks for Media across all countries helps marketers gauge country‑specific ad costs, compare industry ad performance to global patterns, and track CPM trends through seasonal cycles.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Mille (CPM) is the cost advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their Facebook ad. In the Media 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.
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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.
CPMs are heavily influenced by competition, seasonality (e.g., Q4 costs more), audience size, and ad quality. Smaller audiences and lower relevance scores often lead to higher CPMs.
Different campaign objectives, bidding strategies, and even time of day can change your CPM. For example, conversion campaigns usually have higher CPMs than traffic ones. Also, broad targeting tends to drive lower CPMs.
In most industries, CPMs range from $5 to $18 depending on the region and objective. Retail and e-comm campaigns often sit at the higher end. Our live data above shows a breakdown by country and industry.
Both matter, but audience quality (intent + match with your offer) usually has more impact than pure size. However, extremely tight audiences often lead to expensive CPMs due to limited delivery opportunities.
Depends on your goal. For awareness, CPM is more relevant. For performance campaigns, CPC and CPA matter more. But all are connected—inefficient CPMs can inflate your entire funnel.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
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