- OpenAI could charge premium ad rates without offering detailed engagement data to advertisers
- ChatGPT ads will rely solely on impressions rather than click-based performance metrics
- Users who pay for GPT Plus avoid ads, leaving free subscribers exposed to marketing
As OpenAI prepares to introduce ads into ChatGPT, early signals have suggested pricing that could rival some of the most expensive media holdings available today.
Reporting from The information has claimed that the company is internally considering prices as high as $60 per thousand views.
This figure puts ChatGPT ads in the same cost range as live National Football League broadcasts, including premium slots for the upcoming Super Bowl.
ChatGPT ad rates compete with live NFL broadcasts
OpenAI has not publicly confirmed these numbers, leaving potential advertisers to rely on limited disclosures and third-party reporting.
The proposed pricing model is based on impressions rather than user actions. Advertisers pay for how often an ad is shown, not how often it is clicked.
Also, OpenAI has not shared detailed click performance data, either for ads or for outbound links to publishers whose content is used during model training.
Available signals suggest that click-through rates are likely to be very low compared to traditional search platforms, especially Google.
A media buyer who works with early stage advertisers has said that OpenAI plans to provide only high-level data, which will include total impressions and total clicks, without deeper breakdowns or behavioral insights.
An OpenAI spokesperson compared this reporting approach to television advertising, where audience exposure matters more than direct interaction.
This comparison is central to how OpenAI looks to justify pricing that mirrors live sports broadcasts.
Ads are expected to appear below ChatGPT responses rather than being woven into the responses themselves.
The company stated that ads will not influence generated responses and that personal information, including health data, will not be used to train models for advertising purposes.
Users on the free tier or the $8 Go plan are expected to see ads, while those paying $20 a month for GPT Plus can avoid them.
The rollout is expected in the US within weeks, marking the start of monetization for an established AI tool.
Unlike social platforms or search engines, ChatGPT does not naturally encourage clicking away from the interface, complicating comparisons with existing digital ad markets.
The central question, however, is whether impression-based pricing at NFL levels makes sense without transparent engagement metrics.
TV advertising benefits from decades of audience measurement standards, while ChatGPT still defines how attention in an AI interface should be valued.
Without clearer evidence of user interaction or downstream impact, advertisers may find it difficult to assess whether ChatGPT impressions are delivering results.
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