What is CPV in live streaming: cost per verified view

CPV in live-stream advertising stands for cost per verified view: the brand pays only for views of the ad that actually happened, not for impressions that were served. At APIQ, a verified view is a complete view, with viewability and video completion rate (VCR) both at 100%. It counts only if the stream had a live audience at the moment of display and a screenshot confirms that the ad was shown in full. Every view is checked three ways: a screenshot, computer vision that analyzes the placement, and an anti-fraud check on 14 parameters. Inflated or low-quality views are not billed. The ad runs inside the broadcast itself, so ad blockers don't hide it and viewers can't skip it. One CPV rate applies to every streamer in the campaign, the volume of views is guaranteed, and an online report shows views, clicks and CTR for each streamer. In short, CPV moves the delivery risk from the brand to the seller: if the promised views don't happen, the brand doesn't pay for them.

CPV vs CPM and flat fee

The three models differ in what the brand pays for. A flat fee pays a streamer for a mention or a segment: the price is fixed, the audience is not. CPM pays for a thousand impressions, and platform ads are usually bought this way at auction; an impression proves the ad was served, not that anyone watched it. CPV pays for each verified view, so the invoice follows what viewers actually saw.

A detailed comparison of all three, with figures from client reports, is in CPV, CPM or flat fee.

What counts as a verified view

Web standards set a low bar for "seen": the IAB, following the Media Rating Council, counts a display ad as viewable when at least 50% of its pixels are in view for one second, and a video for two. A verified view in APIQ's CPV model asks for the whole impression:

• Shown in full. The creative stayed on screen for the entire impression and was fully visible: viewability and VCR of 100%. A partial view doesn't count.
• A live audience. Real viewers were watching at the moment of display, and the viewer count is recorded. Recording views aren't billed.
• Screenshot and computer vision. The system screenshots the stream and checks whether the creative is there, where it sits and whether its clickable elements work. On Twitch and Kick it also checks that the chat link is posted and pinned.
• Anti-fraud on 14 parameters. Chat activity, audience dynamics and stability, sudden spikes in viewers, user behavior, clicks and conversions. Suspicious traffic goes into neither the report nor the invoice.

Because the creative is part of the video stream, it can't be skipped and ad blockers don't remove it, which is what makes a complete view measurable.

A worked example, without money

The figures below are a hypothetical illustration, not campaign data or a real rate.

Say a campaign generates 100,000 impressions, and 62,000 of them are complete views confirmed by a screenshot. The other 38,000 are partial views, impressions without a live audience or traffic flagged by anti-fraud.

• Under CPM you pay for all 100,000 impressions.
• Under CPV you pay for the 62,000 verified views.

Now assume one unit of price is the same in both models: one impression under CPM, one verified view under CPV. Under CPM, 100,000 units buy 62,000 verified views, so each verified view effectively costs 100,000 ÷ 62,000 ≈ 1.61 units, or 1.61 times more than under CPV. The gap grows as the share of complete views falls: with 50,000 complete views out of 100,000, it would be 2 times.

In practice, a CPM price and a CPV rate are not the same number, so compare offers by one figure: the total cost divided by the number of views you can prove.

What to ask a live-stream ad seller

1. What exactly do you bill: a mention, an impression or a verified view?
2. What must a view meet to count: full display, a live audience, a screenshot?
3. Do I get a screenshot of every view?
4. Is traffic flagged by anti-fraud removed from the invoice as well as the report?
5. Is the rate the same for every streamer, and is the volume of views guaranteed?
6. Will the online report show views, clicks and CTR for each streamer while the campaign runs?

How to check the answers on air is covered in How to check that your ad actually ran. How APIQ buys on CPV, from a media plan within 24 hours to launch 1–2 days after the streamer and creative list is approved, is on the for brands page.