CTV Frequency Cap Waste

Keep connected TV buys efficient by quantifying how many impressions and dollars spill past your intended frequency cap. Provide reach, the observed average frequency, and optional CPM assumptions to surface wasted delivery and spend.

Unique households exposed to the campaign in the reporting window.
Observed average frequency across the same period.
Optional. Defaults to 5 impressions per household.
Optional. Defaults to $28. Include platform fees and data costs for accuracy.

Media planning tool—validate reach, frequency, and CPM inputs against platform reporting before adjusting budgets or guarantees.

Examples

  • 1,200,000 households, 9.8 average impressions, cap 5, $28 CPM ⇒ Delivered frequency: 9.80x • Cap allows: 5.00x • Wasted impressions: 5,760,000.00 (41.84%) • Estimated wasted spend: $161,280.00 USD • Impressions within cap: 6,000,000.00.
  • 650,000 households, 4.2 average impressions, defaults for optional inputs ⇒ Delivered frequency: 4.20x • Cap allows: 5.00x • Wasted impressions: 0.00 (0.00%) • Estimated wasted spend: $0.00 USD • Impressions within cap: 2,730,000.00.

FAQ

How do I incorporate incremental reach studies?

Swap the households reached input with the incremental reach figure from your study to isolate waste on incremental-only impressions.

What if CPM varies by publisher?

Use a weighted average CPM based on spend distribution, or rerun the calculator for each publisher flight and sum the wasted spend across partners.

Can I include creative rotation caps?

Yes. Enter the per-creative frequency cap and reach for that creative to evaluate whether a specific ad is over-serving even if the overall campaign is not.

Does this account for daypart pacing?

Not directly. Use the output as a macro waste signal, then inspect daypart reports to see where impressions bunch up and adjust pacing or bidding rules accordingly.

Additional Information

  • Result unit: impressions for wasted and capped delivery, with optional dollar conversion using CPM.
  • When average frequency is below the cap, wasted impressions and spend return zero, confirming the campaign is on target.
  • Use reach sourced from your DSP or measurement partner so the frequency math aligns with booked delivery.

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