OpenAI Pursues Premium Pricing Strategy in Early ChatGPT Advertising Rollout, per The Information

OpenAI is adopting an aggressive premium pricing model for its inaugural advertising campaigns on ChatGPT, demanding rates that compete with some of the most sought-after video inventory in media, according to a recent report from The Information.

In its push to monetize the free and low-cost tiers of ChatGPT, OpenAI is reportedly charging cost-per-mille (CPM) rates as high as **$60** for ad impressions—significantly exceeding typical streaming television ad benchmarks and roughly triple the rates often seen on platforms like Meta. This approach positions ChatGPT ads as a high-value, premium channel rather than competing in the lower-cost, high-volume digital advertising space dominated by Google and social media giants.

The strategy was detailed in The Information's coverage published around January 26, 2026, building on OpenAI's official announcement on January 16, 2026, that it would begin testing advertisements in the United States. Ads are targeted exclusively at users on the free tier and the newly introduced **ChatGPT Go** subscription ($8/month in the U.S., with localized pricing in other regions). All premium offerings—**ChatGPT Plus** ($20/month), **ChatGPT Pro** ($200/month), Business, and Enterprise plans—remain completely ad-free to maintain an uninterrupted experience for paying customers.

Key elements of OpenAI's early advertising approach include:

- **Premium positioning**: By setting elevated CPMs comparable to high-demand live events (e.g., NFL broadcasts), OpenAI aims to establish its conversational AI ads as elite inventory with strong contextual relevance and user engagement potential.
- **Limited initial commitments**: Advertisers are being asked for trial spends of less than $1 million each over several weeks, allowing OpenAI to test performance while controlling scale.
- **Restricted transparency**: Unlike Meta or Google, OpenAI will not share detailed data on the specific user queries or conversations surrounding the ads, nor will it provide granular performance metrics such as whether ads drove actions like purchases or site visits.
- **Privacy safeguards**: The company has emphasized that it will not sell user data, use conversation content to train models for ad targeting without consent, or allow ads to influence or alter ChatGPT's core responses.

This premium pricing tactic reflects OpenAI's need to generate substantial revenue amid skyrocketing infrastructure and training costs for frontier AI models. CEO Sam Altman had long resisted advertising in the chatbot interface to prioritize user experience and privacy, but the shift underscores the financial pressures of scaling advanced AI globally.

With ChatGPT Go now rolled out worldwide to broaden affordable access, ads are positioned as a mechanism to subsidize free and entry-level usage without compromising the paid tiers. If successful, this model could redefine AI-native advertising, where highly contextual, conversational placements command rates far above traditional display or even video ads.

Industry watchers will monitor the upcoming test phase—expected to expand in the coming weeks or by February 2026—to determine whether advertisers accept these premium rates and whether the format delivers the engagement required to justify them in a crowded AI and digital advertising landscape. Early indications suggest OpenAI is betting big on the unique value of its platform to command top-dollar pricing from day one.