YouTube CPM & RPM Benchmarks Q2 2026

This report presents YouTube CPM and RPM benchmark ranges for Q2 2026, drawn from anonymized aggregate data across TubeAnalytics-connected channels. The dataset covers monetized channels across 12 content niches including finance, tech, gaming, lifestyle, education, health, and food, with geographic breakdowns for US, UK, CA, AU, and other major advertising markets.

CPM (cost per mille) represents the advertiser-side cost per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM (revenue per mille) represents the creator-side earnings per 1,000 total views, after YouTube's revenue share. Both metrics are reported as ranges rather than single figures because CPM and RPM vary significantly by niche, audience geography, video length, and ad inventory density.

Finance and personal investing content continued to command the highest CPM floors in Q2 2026, with median CPMs in the $18–$32 range for US-audience content. Tech review and software tutorial content showed strong CPM performance at $12–$22, driven by high-intent audiences with advertiser-valued purchase behavior. Gaming content ranged widely — from $3–$6 for casual gameplay to $9–$16 for PC hardware and peripheral review content.

RPM figures lagged CPM across all niches due to non-monetized views (ad-block users, pre-roll skips, and views outside eligible geographies). Effective RPM for most channels in the study fell within 40–65% of reported CPM. Channels with above-average mid-roll density and longer average video lengths consistently outperformed the 40–65% conversion floor.

Use these ranges as a calibration reference, not a performance target. If your RPM is consistently 20% or more below the range for your niche, start with traffic source analysis — non-US traffic, high mobile ad density, or content that attracts younger audiences with lower advertiser value are common causes of below-benchmark RPM.

The TubeAnalytics benchmarks module lets you compare your channel RPM and CPM against the ranges in this report using your own connected data. Upload your historical analytics to see where you fall within the niche distribution and identify the specific videos pulling your average down.