Ready to get your brand on TV? Launching your Local TV campaign with Skybeam will take you just 10 minutes. This guide will walk you through each step of the process.
New to TV advertising? Check out our Local TV overview to learn the basics first!
Step 1: Create New Campaign
From your Campaigns dashboard:
Click Create Campaign
Select Local TV from the media channel options
Note: If you're looking to launch a Streaming TV campaign, refer to our Streaming campaign creation guide.
Click Create Local TV Campaign.
Step 2: Campaign Settings
Select Advertiser
Choose the company or business running this campaign, whether you're advertising your own brand or managing a campaign on behalf of a client.
Pro tip: All creatives and campaign history are stored under the advertiser profile, making it easy to run future campaigns.
Set Your Campaign Schedule
The next step is to set your campaign's start and end dates. Local TV runs on a fixed schedule with specific timing requirements.
Start Date:
Your start date depends on when you submit your campaign. Submit by Monday at 12 PM EST and you can schedule your campaign to start as early as the following Monday.
If you submit after Monday, the earliest start date you can select is the Monday of the week after next.
End Date:
Campaigns must run for at least 7 days
Why these timelines? Local TV requires advance booking with networks. The lead time ensures we secure the available inventory and rates for your campaign. Monday starts align with the TV industry's standard broadcast week.
Set Budget
Local TV delivers massive reach, and here's what you need to get started:
Minimum investment: $5000 per 7-day campaign
To get more info – read the article: Budgeting for Local TV Advertising.
Step 3: Audience Targeting
Select Location
Local TV lets you blanket entire regions with your message. You can search for your target areas by:
TV Market name (e.g., "Los Angeles DMA")
State (e.g., "New York")
City (e.g., "New Orleans")
ZIP codes (upload a CSV file for bulk entry!)
Important: Local TV targets entire TV markets (DMAs - Designated Market Areas), not individual cities or ZIP codes. Your ads will reach the complete broadcast area - typically 50-100 miles around major cities.
Understanding TV Markets: When you select "Chicago," your ads reach the entire Chicago TV Market, including suburbs and surrounding areas. This broader reach is why Local TV excels at building regional brand presence.
Read more about TV markets here.
Your budget determines how many markets you can select. Skybeam recommends $800 per DMA per week to ensure meaningful delivery in every market you choose. A $5,000 campaign over 3 weeks covers up to 2 markets; $7,000 covers up to 3; $10,000 covers up to 4. Adjust your budget in Step 2 to unlock more markets.
Use the forecasting tool to see estimated campaign results are for your Local TV campaign
See how your campaign settings impact performance before you launch. Watch estimated metrics change as you adjust location targeting (automatically converted to TV markets) and campaign budget.
Once you've entered your parameters, the forecast provides:
Audience Size - The total number of people who match your targeting criteria
Impressions - The estimated number of times your ads will be displayed
CPM - The projected cost per thousand impressions
Important: Forecasted results are directional estimates and do not guarantee performance.
Review TV Channels
Once you select a location, you'll see:
Corresponding TV markets and a population size of each market
Available stations (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, etc.) in the selected TV Markets
Your campaign automatically includes ALL major networks in your selected markets - no cherry-picking needed! We spread your budget across channels to maximize reach and catch viewers wherever they're watching.
Add Your Video Ads
Upload 15 or 30-second video files
Formats: MP4, MOV (.mov), max 500MB
Step 4: Exclusions (Optional)
Once you've selected your markets, you can fine-tune where your ads appear. This step is optional — by default, Skybeam distributes your campaign across all effective programming to maximize reach.
Exclude Genres
Choose up to 10 genre clusters to avoid — for example, late-night entertainment or news programming. This is useful when certain content environments don't align with your brand.
Exclude Dayparts
Skip up to 3 time windows when your audience is less likely to be watching — for example, overnight hours.
Keep exclusions minimal. Every exclusion reduces available inventory, which can lower your reach and raise CPM. The Campaign Forecast updates in real time — you can see the impact of each exclusion before you commit.
For a full breakdown of exclusion options and trade-offs, see Controlling What Airs: Excluding Genres and Dayparts.
Step 5: Review and Submit
Payment Information
Enter your payment method details.
To get more information about the billing process – read the article.
Review total campaign cost
Click Save Payment Method
Remember: You're only charged after creative review approval (2-3 business days) - we make sure your creative meets TV advertising standards first!
Submit Campaign
Review your campaign details carefully
Click Review and Submit
Confirm with Submit Campaign - and you're all set!
Final check: Double-check your targeting and dates. Local TV campaigns cannot be modified once they begin airing due to pre-scheduled network commitments!
What Happens Next
Immediate Confirmation
Success! You'll see a countdown timer showing exactly when your campaign goes live.
Review Process (2-3 Days)
Creative Review: We verify your ads meet broadcast standards and network requirements
Payment Processing: You're charged after creative and campaign setup review
Media Plan Finalization: We negotiate with networks to secure optimal ad placements within your budget and target markets
Campaign Goes Live
Launches on your selected start date
Reporting appears within 48 hours after launch
Monitor performance in your campaign dashboard.
To learn more about the Local TV Reporting – read this article: Track Your Local TV Campaign Performance
Timeline Summary
Day | Action |
Today | Submit campaign |
Day 1-3 | Creative review |
Day 3 | Payment processed |
Monday (Week 2 or 3) | Campaign goes live |
2 days past campaign launch | First performance data available |