- Formula
- (Ad revenue / impressions) x 1000
- Unit
- $
- Models
- Media
| rewarded video | $16–$20 | Appodeal; AdReact 2026 |
| interstitials | $14–$15 | Appodeal; AdReact 2026 |
| banners | <$1.3 | Appodeal; AdReact 2026 |
What it is
eCPM (effective cost per mille) measures the revenue earned per 1,000 ad impressions. Defined as: (ad revenue / impressions) × 1,000.
How to calculate it
Divide total ad revenue for a period by the total number of impressions served in that period, then multiply by 1,000. The result is expressed in dollars per thousand impressions.
Why it matters
eCPM is the primary yield metric for ad-supported media products. It enables comparison across ad formats, inventory types, and mediation partners, and is the lever through which publishers optimise floor prices and waterfall or bidding configurations.
Benchmarks & pitfalls
US benchmarks from Appodeal and AdReact (2026) show significant variation by format: rewarded video eCPMs of approximately $16–20, interstitials at $14–15, and banners below $1.30. These figures are heavily geo-dependent — non-US markets can be a fraction of these levels. Vendor-reported benchmarks also reflect their own network inventory, which may skew toward better-performing publishers; treat them as directional ceilings rather than universal norms.