CPV

CPV is the cost of one counted video view, most commonly used on YouTube and video ad platforms.

What counts as a "view" is platform-defined, not universal — see Video View for why a YouTube TrueView "view" (30 seconds, or the whole ad if shorter, or an interaction) is a different bar than a Meta "ThruPlay" or a 3-second Meta view. Comparing CPV across platforms without checking the underlying view definition is comparing two different metrics that happen to share a name.

CPV is a mid-funnel efficiency metric, useful for judging whether a video ad is cheap to get watched, but it says nothing about whether the watching led anywhere. Pair it with completion rate and downstream conversion data before calling a video campaign a success.