Atrium (atrium.run) is a TV ad buying platform for streaming, connected TV, and local broadcast: buy premium and local TV ads in a few minutes.
You buy local broadcast TV ads on Atrium by picking the local networks, choosing the map, making the spot, and setting a budget, all in one place. There is no station rep to call, and the catch is that there is no catch: no contract, no minimum, and no insertion order.
This post walks through how that works, what it costs, and when local broadcast is the right choice.
Who sells local TV ads?
Local broadcast is sold market by market. Each station has its own sales team, and most stations belong to a large station group. Buying direct usually means finding the right contact at each station, negotiating, and repeating the process in every market you want.
Atrium gives you local broadcast and connected television in all 210 U.S. markets (all 210 designated market areas) through the country's largest station groups. That includes Tegna, Scripps, Nexstar, Gray, Hearst, and Sinclair, with ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates and 200+ local news stations. You own the screens your neighborhood already trusts. See the full list on the supply page.
How do you buy local broadcast TV on Atrium?
The platform runs on five steps, from an empty screen to a campaign that is live and reporting: Set the goal, Pick the networks, Target the household, Make the spot, Run and report.
| Step | What you do | What Atrium does |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Set the goal | Choose reach, clicks, calls, or form fills | Buys and measures the campaign to match that goal |
| 2. Pick the networks | Start from a prebuilt bundle, then narrow to the local stations you want | Shows each network's real available inventory |
| 3. Target the household | Pick the map: nationwide, a state, or the ZIP codes you serve | Resolves the household behind the TV screen |
| 4. Make the spot | Describe the commercial in Creative Studio | Builds it shot by shot and renders it at 15 or 30 seconds, finished for broadcast |
| 5. Run and report | Set a budget and dates, then go live | Reports impressions, spend, and eCPM as the ads air |
Local on Atrium means broadcast stations and their news apps, market by market. You can also choose premium, which is national cable and broadcast, or blend the two. Blended is the widest reach per dollar.
You can do all of this by typing or talking. Name the campaign, set a budget, pick the dates and the creative, and watch the form fill in as you talk. Learn more on the platform page.
What does local broadcast cost?
Usage covers the platform you run on. CPM covers the TV you air. Most campaigns include both.
The platform. It is paid by the credit: $20 buys 2,000 credits a month. Each AI action, like a message, report, or analysis, is about 6 credits. You set a monthly limit, and there are no minimums.
The TV. You air your ads at a transparent CPM, which is the cost per thousand impressions. Typical CPMs run $18 to $28 depending on inventory and audience layers, and actual delivery varies. There are no setup fees, and audience layers are priced by what you turn on.
An illustration. Atrium's calculator uses a $22 average CPM. At that rate, a $5,000 budget buys about 227,000 impressions. Your actual numbers depend on the stations, the market, and the audience layers you choose.
Your wallet is charged for impressions that actually ran, and whatever you have not spent stays in your wallet. You also get 8% cash back on every ad dollar. Spend $10,000 on TV and get $800 back, earned on delivered TV ads and paid monthly once it reaches $25. See the pricing page for details.
When does local broadcast make sense instead of streaming?
Local broadcast fits when you want to be on the stations and news programs your market already watches. It suits businesses that serve a defined area, such as a metro, a county, or a set of ZIP codes.
Streaming and connected TV fit when you want to narrow by household and audience. Atrium offers 7,897 audience segments in 31 categories at household precision, and it costs $0 to browse them. You can also upload your own customer list and retarget those customers on TV.
You do not have to choose. A blended campaign runs premium and local together. Atrium routes every dollar to where it converts, across streaming, connected TV, and local broadcast.
If you need to prove the ads worked, hold households back from the campaign and compare them with the households that saw it. You can set this up when you target the household. Browse the options on the audience page.
What about the commercial itself?
Local broadcast needs a finished spot, and you make it where you buy the air time. Describe the commercial, and Creative Studio builds it shot by shot on the best video model for each shot, grounded in your brand. It pulls in your logo, colors, and fonts from your own site.
Studio cuts your spot to 15 or 30 seconds, adds your end card and offer, and delivers each network the format it demands. Read more on the creative page.
How do you know the local TV ads worked?
As the campaign runs, you watch impressions, spend, and eCPM. Every booking, sale and lead is tied to the campaign that earned it.
Atrium Intelligence tracks every lead and sale to its source, across TV, search, social, and email, from the same tag. Leads, calls, and form fills are counted, not modeled. Because every conversion attributes to the campaign, market, and creative that produced it, you can see which stations and which spots paid off.
If you want to change course, you can. Pause the campaign and delivery stops at the network the moment you press it. Or move the budget, add ZIP codes, or swap the spot while the campaign is still running. Learn more on the Atrium Intelligence page.
FAQ
Can I buy local TV ads without an agency or a station rep?
Yes. On Atrium you pick the networks and the households, make the spot, and go live yourself. A person is there when you need one, with walkthroughs and a real expert on a call.
Which local stations can I buy on Atrium?
Atrium covers local broadcast and connected television in all 210 U.S. markets, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates and 200+ local news stations. Station groups include Tegna, Scripps, Nexstar, Gray, Hearst, and Sinclair.
Is there a contract or minimum spend?
No. There is no contract, no minimum, and no insertion order, and whatever you have not spent stays in your wallet.
Can I target specific ZIP codes with local TV?
Yes. Pick the map as nationwide, a state, or the ZIP codes you serve. You can also upload your own customer list or draw the service area on the map.
Ready to try it? Get more customers from TV by starting on the Atrium platform.