TV advertising is no longer reserved for large brands with six-figure budgets, according to BearJam, an independent local video production company that says new technology and production models are giving small businesses access to broadcast advertising for the first time.
Recent figures from ad-spend provider Guideline indicate that UK advertising investment is set to grow by 5.5% in 2026, with connected TV predicted to rise by 15%. As digital advertising costs increase, businesses are increasingly looking to television as a channel offering stronger audience targeting and clearer performance measurement.
David Sanderson, Director of Business Development at Sky Media, said, “More than 4,000 businesses have already advertised on TV for the first time with Sky. Adsmart from Sky gives brands of any size access to the UK’s most trusted and impactful advertising platform, enabling them to reach the right audiences, build fame, and accelerate business growth.”
BearJam says the combination of Sky AdSmart’s addressable TV capabilities and locally produced creative allows businesses to reduce spend without sacrificing production quality or broadcast compliance.
“Where TV advertising used to cost £200k, it can now be done for £20k, opening up more opportunities for businesses that haven’t had that kind of exposure before.” Said James Hilditch, Founder and Creative Director at BearJam.
The company explains that instead of funding large national campaigns, businesses can focus on targeted local placements supported by efficient production schedules and smaller crews.
Now, £20k can get businesses:
- A professionally produced, broadcast-ready TV advert (typically 20–30 seconds), created with TV compliance in mind
- A lean, local shoot schedule (often 1 day) with a small crew to keep production efficient
- Edit, sound mix, and delivery in the formats required for TV placement
- Support with Clearcast-ready assets and guidance on approvals
- A starter media test on addressable TV (e.g., Sky AdSmart) targeting specific postcodes and audience profiles
- Performance reporting to understand reach and frequency, and to inform the next round of spend
- Optional cutdowns/versions for social and digital, so the same creative works across channels
“TV used to feel like a walled garden. You needed big budgets, big agencies, and you were often paying for reach you didn’t actually need. What’s changed is that small businesses can now target the right postcodes, measure performance properly, and produce creative locally without compromising on broadcast quality.
When you combine addressable TV platforms like Sky AdSmart with a local production partner, that £20k budget can start to cover both the media placement and a properly crafted TV-ready ad. And because you’re not trying to speak to the whole country, you can focus on a clear message, a local audience, and a plan you can actually build on.
The opportunity isn’t ‘TV for TV’s sake’. It’s TV as a credible, high-attention channel that sits alongside digital, and often gives you more control than people assume.” Added James Hilditch.
BearJam expects the continued growth of addressable TV and local production to further lower barriers to entry, enabling more small businesses to treat TV as a realistic and scalable advertising channel.
