30-second commercial
0:30The standard spot. Hook, problem, product, how it helps, proof, call to action.
- Hook 0–3 s
- Problem 3–8 s
- Meet the product 8–12 s
- How it helps 12–22 s
- Proof 22–26 s
- Call to action and end card 26–30 s
TV commercials
A TV commercial for your business, without the shoot
A local TV commercial is a 30 or 60 second spot in wide 16:9 for local TV and streaming TV (ads inside apps like Hulu or on Roku). To make a TV commercial here, with an AI TV commercial maker instead of a crew, you write a brief and customcommercials.ai, an AI commercial studio, plans every shot in a free storyboard, a shot-by-shot plan you approve before you pay. After a short title card with your name and logo, it opens on a hook, the first three seconds that make people look up, and ends on your call to action, what you ask people to do next, said over a closing card. Those cards make the file a few seconds longer than the storyboard, so a station that needs an exact :30 will need them trimmed, which a video finishing shop can do.
Commercials aren't taking new orders right now. Email support@customcommercials.ai and we'll tell you when they open.
The brief
What a local TV or streaming spot needs
Wide 16:9, 30 or 60 seconds
Television and streaming TV (ads inside apps like Hulu or on Roku) run wide. Thirty seconds is the standard spot; sixty tells a story; fifteen is cheaper to air.
Your name said and shown
People hear the ad from the next room. The spokesperson, a realistic AI presenter who says your lines on camera, says your name and your number or web address, and the same words appear on screen.
An end card
The end card is the last screen with your web address and what to do next. On TV it stays up for the last two to four seconds, long enough to read out loud.
One message
A spot that says one thing lands. Give the brief one message and up to three facts you can prove. The storyboard writer is told to use only the facts in your brief; read every line before you approve, because you have the final say.
How it's built
How we make a TV commercial
The 30-second spot follows six beats: the hook, the problem, meet the product, how it helps, proof, and the end card. A 60-second spot tells a story instead. The bars show each beat to scale, and the storyboard shows most shots as a preview still, one picture of what the shot will look like, before you pay.
30-second commercial
0:30The standard spot. Hook, problem, product, how it helps, proof, call to action.
- Hook 0–3 s
- Problem 3–8 s
- Meet the product 8–12 s
- How it helps 12–22 s
- Proof 22–26 s
- Call to action and end card 26–30 s
60-second story
1:00Someone with a problem finds your product and life gets better.
- Open 0–5 s
- Character and problem 5–18 s
- Discovery 18–25 s
- Demo montage 25–42 s
- Result 42–50 s
- Proof 50–54 s
- End card 54–60 s
The times are the storyboard's. The finished file also opens on a short title card with your title and logo, and closes on a card where the voice says your call to action, what you ask people to do next. Those cards are not billed.
- The product or brand shows up in the first 5 seconds.
- The product appears at least twice: once early and once big, just before the end card.
- One camera move per shot.
- The last 2 to 4 seconds are the end card, the last screen with your name and what to do next.
- People speak about 2.5 words a second, so a 30-second ad holds about 70 words with room to breathe.
Delivery
What you get, and what the station will ask for
We give you the finished files. The station or streaming seller owns the delivery spec, so the last check is yours or your rep's.
Delivery
- A wide 16:9 MP4 at up to 1080p, plus the vertical and square versions for social
- Sound level set to the usual level for online video; stations often ask for their own level
- Your station or streaming seller gives you their file and loudness spec (their rules for the file and its sound level); check the download against it
- If the station asks for a file made to its rules, a video finishing shop (a post house) can adjust our download to fit
Pricing
What it costs vs a filmed spot
A TV commercial here is a set price for each format and finished length, shown on the storyboard before you pay, with the storyboard free. A simple filmed local spot from a production company costs thousands of dollars, and airing it is a second bill either way.
Commercials open soon
Email us and we will tell you the price before anyone pays.
Commercials aren't taking new orders right now. Email support@customcommercials.ai and we'll tell you when they open.
Email usThe numbers, with sources and the date we checked them, are in the cost guide: what a filmed spot costs and what airtime costs. Weighing a crew against this? Compare with a production company. Or see pricing.
Streaming TV too
The same spot runs on streaming TV and online
Streaming TV sellers take the same wide file as a broadcast station, usually with a simpler spec. The vertical and square versions that come with every commercial cover your social feeds, and the wide file runs on YouTube and your website. Restaurants, real estate agents and local services run many local spots; each has its own page: restaurants, real estate and local services.
From the blog
Keep reading
Costs
Commercial prices in 2026, option by option, with airtime
Real 2026 prices for a 30-second TV commercial, a local TV spot, an online video ad and an AI commercial, with what drives each number and where to save.
Production
How to write a 30-second commercial script
Hook, message, call to action: the six beats of a 30-second commercial with timings, a two-column script you can copy, and the facts you're allowed to use.
Commercials open soon
We are not taking new orders yet. Email us and we will tell you when they open, and what the price is before anyone pays.
Questions
How much does a TV commercial cost to make?
A simple filmed local spot from a production company costs thousands of dollars, and the station's own template spot is often free but tied to buying airtime. Here the storyboard is free and shows the exact price before you pay. Commercials are not taking new orders yet; email support@customcommercials.ai to hear when they open. The full numbers, with sources, are in the cost guide.
How long is a TV commercial?
Thirty seconds is the standard. Fifteen is common and cheaper to air; sixty tells a story. Ask for the length in the brief. For a 15, start its own commercial and cut its storyboard to fit before you approve: a short ad is planned on its own, not trimmed from a 30.
Can an AI-made commercial air on TV?
Yes, if the station accepts it. Each station publishes its own delivery rules for file type, length and loudness. We give you a wide MP4 up to 1080p; check the download against the spec before you buy airtime, and a video finishing shop (a post house) can adjust the file to the station's rules if it asks.
What do I need to give the station?
Usually the finished file in the format their spec asks for, plus the script and any claims it makes, so they can check them. Some stations want the file set to their own sound level; a video finishing shop (a post house) can do that from our download.
Does the price include airtime?
No. Making the commercial and airing it are two bills. Our price covers the finished commercial in three shapes; the station or streaming seller sells the airtime. The cost guide lists typical airtime ranges with sources.
Can I also get it in vertical for social?
Yes. Every commercial is delivered in vertical 9:16 and square 1:1 as well as wide 16:9, from one approval.