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User Acquisition

CPV (Cost Per View)

Also known asCost Per View

The price an advertiser pays per video ad view. What counts as a "view" varies by platform — a few seconds watched, a completed view, or a quartile milestone.

Key takeaways

  1. 01CPV = ad spend ÷ views. It is the standard pricing model for video and playable creative.
  2. 02The catch is the "view" definition: 2-second, 6-second, completed (100%), or quartile-based — always confirm which a CPV quote uses.
  3. 03CPV makes campaigns comparable on engaged attention rather than raw impressions (CPM) or clicks (CPC).
  4. 04Pair CPV with view-to-install rate to connect it to install economics.

Cost per view (CPV) is the price an advertiser pays each time a user views a video ad. It is the dominant pricing model for video and [[playable-ad]] creative, where the unit of value is attention rather than a raw impression ([[cpm]]) or a click ([[cpc]]).

The thing to nail down with any CPV is what counts as a view. Platforms define it differently — a 2-second or 6-second watch, a completed (100%) view, or quartile milestones (25 / 50 / 75 / 100%). A completed-view CPV and a 2-second CPV are very different contracts for the same creative, so always confirm the standard before comparing CPV across networks.

CPV is most useful for upper-funnel and consideration campaigns and for formats — rewarded video, playables, [[ctv]] — where watching the ad is the point. To tie it to performance, track the view-to-install path: CPV ÷ view-to-install rate gives an effective install cost you can compare against [[cpi]].

Quick answers

How is CPV calculated?

CPV = total ad spend ÷ total views. The number is only meaningful alongside the platform's view definition — a $0.02 CPV for a 2-second view and a $0.02 CPV for a completed 30-second view represent very different value.

What counts as a view in CPV?

It depends on the platform. Common definitions: 2-second, 6-second, completed (100%), or quartile-based (25/50/75/100% of the video). Older TrueView-style video used 30-seconds-or-completion; many social platforms use 2 seconds. Always confirm the standard before comparing CPV across networks.

CPV vs CPM vs CPC — which should I use?

CPM (per 1,000 impressions) suits broad reach; CPC (per click) suits intent-driven response; CPV (per view) suits video and playable formats where watching is the value. For installs, all three roll up to an effective CPI via their respective conversion rates — optimize on the downstream metric, not the surface pricing model.

Is CPV good for app installs?

It can be, for video-led campaigns (rewarded video, playables, CTV) where the view drives consideration. But views are upper-funnel — connect CPV to view-to-install rate and ultimately to ROAS rather than treating a low CPV as success on its own.

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