TV Commercial Production Company: Every Spot Arrives With a Sheet the Station Can Use

Updated November 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team

A TV spot is finished when a station can air it, not when the edit looks good. Since December 13, 2012, broadcast stations have been required to follow the ATSC A/85 loudness practice for commercials, so a spot mixed loud to stand out gains nothing. A TV commercial production company that works backward from the spot sheet decides early what every buyer will ask for: the lengths the media plan bought, a measured mix, an Ad-ID code on each version, captions and clean master files. Production is arranged per project, with crews, casting and locations booked for each shoot. Progression’s team is based in New York and produces spots for businesses across the US.

A furniture spot mixed loud, and why loud bought nothing

A hypothetical regional furniture store made a 30 second spot. The mix was pushed hot so the sale price would jump out, and it sat well above the level a station measures against.

The remix brought the same spot to the A/85 practice. The creative was fine. The mix chased attention that the rules no longer reward.

Why does a loud mix gain nothing?

Because broadcast stations must follow the loudness practice for commercials, a spot is measured against it. Pushing the mix hotter is the wrong lever, and the effort goes further spent on the message.

What a TV commercial production company puts on the spot sheet

The spot sheet is what a station or buyer receives with each spot. Every line is a production decision made earlier, and the table lists them in the order they are made.

Lengths cut to what the media plan bought

A 15 second spot is rarely a 30 second spot with the middle removed. Each length is planned at the script, shot with its own coverage and edited as its own cut.

A mix stations can air as delivered

A mix that arrives measured and logged is a mix a station does not have to correct. Ask for the measurement with the master.

• Confirm the bought lengths before the script is written.
• Plan coverage for every length at the script.
• Request the loudness measurement with each master.
• Keep one version log that the buyer can read.

Loudness rules for commercials on broadcast TV

Effective December 13, 2012, television broadcast stations must comply with the ATSC A/85 Recommended Practice insofar as it concerns the transmission of commercial advertisements. 47 CFR 73.682(e) sets out how a station shows it.

A station that inserts commercials itself shows compliance by installing, maintaining and using equipment to measure the loudness of the content, and to ensure that the dialnorm metadata value correctly matches the loudness of the content when encoding the audio into AC-3. It keeps records of that use and maintenance. For commercials passed through from a network or other programmer, a station may rely on that programmer’s certification of compliance with the A/85 practice, under the conditions the rule sets.

The rule is the station’s obligation, and this page is not legal advice. The practical point for a producer is simple: deliver a measured mix with the master, so the station is not left to correct it.

Does the rule apply to streaming?

The rule is written for television broadcast stations. For streaming, follow the delivery specs of each outlet.

Ad-ID codes and naming for every version

AD-ID calls itself the industry’s ad registry. It provides an identity system for advertising assets and a consistent set of naming conventions, so advertisers, agencies, publishers and their partners can transact with less friction across every creative, platform and format.

• Give each version its own code: every length, offer and language.
• Put the code on the slate and in the file name.
• Keep a version log the media buyer can read.
• Confirm each outlet’s requirements with the buyer.

A code is a small thing that saves a long email thread when a buyer asks which version is which.

How many codes does one shoot need?

One for each version that will be delivered. A shoot for two offers in three lengths gives six.

TV advertising production for local and regional businesses

TV advertising production for a local business is a matter of planning one shoot day well. Television advertising production on a modest schedule can serve several offers when the coverage is planned at the script.

To produce TV commercials for a regional market, start from the media plan: the lengths, the air dates and the markets decide the rest. TV advert production works best when talent usage terms are matched to the flight dates, so nobody is surprised by a renewal.

• Plan one shoot day for several offers.
• Match talent usage to the air dates.
• Choose locations that serve more than one offer.
• Cut every length from the same coverage.

For wider advertising planning, see small business advertising.

Can a small business afford a TV spot?

That depends on scope, and the written proposal sets the price. The market band below shows how wide the range is.

TV ad production companies and the media buyer

TV ad production starts with a conversation with the media buyer. Lengths, deadlines and delivery specs are agreed before the script is locked, so nothing is redone at the last minute.

• Ask the buyer for each outlet’s delivery specs.
• Agree the delivery date for masters.
• Share the version log as codes are assigned.
• Confirm who receives the files.

For CTV and streaming placement, see video advertising agency.

Who should talk to the media buyer?

The person who holds the schedule. One contact on each side keeps the changes in one place.

What TV commercial production costs

Published US price bands for TV commercial production run from $10,000 to $500,000 per spot. That is for production only. Airtime is bought separately.

Airtime is bought separately. Progression does not publish a price. Pricing depends on scope, is subject to change and is set in the written proposal, quoted per spot and versions. TV commercial production companies price on the same factors, and commercial production companies of every kind can be compared on them.

Why is the band so wide?

Because a one location spot with one performer and a multi day shoot with a full cast are different jobs that share a name.

One shoot, cut for broadcast, streaming and social

TV commercials production is planned so one shoot serves every outlet. Coverage is planned at the script for every length and aspect ratio, the broadcast master comes first, and the streaming and vertical cut downs follow.

• Shoot for the widest frame, with safe areas for vertical.
• Deliver the broadcast master first.
• Cut streaming and social versions from the same coverage.
• Code and log every cut.

For distribution, see video marketing agency. For other video work, see video production services.

Does social need its own shoot?

Not when vertical framing is planned for the original shoot.

What the brief should already answer

Seven things shape the spot, and answering them early shortens the planning.

• The one offer.
• Lengths bought and air dates.
• Markets.
• Claims and their proof.
• Talent and music preferences.
• Who approves.
• The media buyer’s delivery contact.

What if the lengths are not bought yet?

Then the brief says so, and the proposal plans coverage for the likely lengths.

From offer to broadcast masters

The sequence is short, and each step feeds the next.

Which step is hardest to redo?

The shoot. Every other step can be reworked at a lower cost.

Casting, talent and usage terms

Talent terms set how long and where a spot may run. They are agreed before the shoot and matched to the flight dates.

• Agree usage length and markets before casting is final.
• Match terms to the air dates.
• Note renewal dates in the version log.
• Keep releases with the masters.

A spot that outlives its talent terms is a spot that has to come down.

Who handles the paperwork?

The production team prepares it and your approver signs.

Claims and proof before the script locks

Every claim in a spot needs proof in hand before the script is final. You supply the proof, and the team builds the script around claims that can stand.

• List every claim in the brief.
• Attach proof for each.
• Send the final script to your counsel.
• Keep the proof with the project file.

Legal review belongs with your counsel. The production team does not give legal advice.

What about prices and offers in the spot?

Say them only when they are stable for the whole flight.

Frequently asked questions