What is Cost Per ThruPlay?
Cost Per ThruPlay (CPT) is a pricing model used predominantly in social media video advertising, particularly on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You pay only when a viewer watches your video for its full duration or for at least 10 seconds, whichever threshold is reached first. This metric ensures you're charged for genuine engagement rather than mere impressions.
Why It Matters
For UK agencies managing client budgets, CPT offers significant advantages over traditional CPM (Cost Per Mille) or CPC (Cost Per Click) models. It aligns your costs directly with viewer engagement, reducing wasted spend on users who scroll past without watching. This accountability is particularly valuable when justifying media investment to clients – you're paying for proven attention rather than speculative visibility.
The metric also reflects the reality of social media consumption, where attention is fragmented. By charging only for completed or substantial views, platforms incentivise publishers to create compelling content and advertisers to invest in quality creative.
How It Works in Practice
When running a video campaign on Facebook or Instagram, CPT charges activate when a viewer's video playback reaches either: - The video's natural end point, or - 10 seconds of continuous watching (for videos longer than 10 seconds)
This 10-second threshold is industry-standard and recognised by platforms including YouTube (via TrueView In-Stream).
When to Use CPT
CPT works best for: - Brand awareness campaigns where video completion indicates genuine interest - Product demonstrations where you want to ensure audiences see key messaging - Longer-form content (15-60 seconds) where completion metrics matter - Campaigns targeting engaged audiences willing to invest time
It's less suitable for quick awareness plays or campaigns where you need maximum reach regardless of engagement depth.
CPT vs. Alternative Metrics
Unlike CPM (which charges per thousand impressions regardless of viewing), CPT ensures payment correlates with engagement. It's more flexible than CPC, which requires a specific click action. For UK advertisers focused on demonstrable ROI, CPT sits between these approaches – stricter than CPM but broader than CPC.
Optimising for ThruPlay
To maximise CPT efficiency: - Hook viewers immediately (first 3 seconds are critical) - Keep pacing dynamic to maintain watch time - Use captions since many users watch without sound - Test video length to balance completion rates with message delivery - Iterate creative based on completion rate data in platform analytics
Connect Media Group tracks CPT performance alongside other metrics to benchmark campaign health and refine audience targeting for optimal cost efficiency.