Data · updated monthly
The Premium Placement Price Index
What guaranteed-tier coverage actually costs, by vertical — median, interquartile range and authority. Built from our live curated catalog; nobody else publishes top-tier segment data this cleanly.
The index at a glance
One dataset, honestly aggregated
Every figure below is computed from the live curated catalog the same week this page is built — not a survey, not a wishlist, not last year's rate card.
Sample & method. The index aggregates indicative per-outlet market ranges across our curated catalog — 1,810 editorial properties at a median of DR 78, every one above the curation floor. We take the midpoint of each outlet's indicative range, then report the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile per vertical. Verticals with fewer than three qualifying outlets are held back until the segment is deep enough to publish a credible number.
The index
Premium placement cost, by vertical
| Vertical | Outlets | Median DR | P25 | Median | P75 | Median magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate | 12 | DR 78 | $1,463 | $3,150 | $6,900 | $3K |
| Gaming | 58 | DR 80 | $1,500 | $2,813 | $3,750 | $3K |
| Pets & Animals | 12 | DR 78 | $2,250 | $2,813 | $3,750 | $3K |
| Crypto | 24 | DR 76 | $1,500 | $2,813 | $4,868 | $3K |
| Fashion | 106 | DR 81 | $1,781 | $2,625 | $3,750 | $3K |
| Energy | 4 | DR 76 | $2,250 | $2,250 | $56,250 | $2K |
| Health | 192 | DR 80 | $1,500 | $2,250 | $4,313 | $2K |
| Auto / EV | 62 | DR 80 | $1,538 | $2,049 | $2,813 | $2K |
| Food & Beverage | 61 | DR 78 | $1,500 | $1,875 | $2,813 | $2K |
| Tech / SaaS | 194 | DR 78 | $1,313 | $1,875 | $3,492 | $2K |
| Entertainment | 74 | DR 79 | $1,463 | $1,875 | $2,625 | $2K |
| Legal | 19 | DR 78 | $1,781 | $1,875 | $3,750 | $2K |
| Business | 18 | DR 78 | $1,125 | $1,838 | $2,813 | $2K |
| General | 711 | DR 78 | $1,313 | $1,781 | $2,813 | $2K |
| Finance | 194 | DR 78 | $1,125 | $1,781 | $2,813 | $2K |
| Travel | 49 | DR 78 | $1,313 | $1,781 | $2,813 | $2K |
| Education | 12 | DR 75 | $318 | $988 | $4,821 | $988 |
| Sports | 3 | DR 75 | $26 | $638 | $2,175 | $638 |
Figures are indicative per-placement medians for guaranteed-tier editorial coverage. The exact price for any specific outlet is confirmed inside a proposal.
Reading the index
How to read this
Three numbers per vertical tell you more than any single rate card. Here is what each column means before you build a shortlist.
P25 · Median · P75
The median is the middle of the market for that vertical. P25 and P75 are the 25th and 75th percentiles — the band most placements fall inside. A wide gap means the vertical spans modest niche titles up to flagship mastheads.
Median DR is the floor of quality
Every outlet in the sample clears our curation floor, so a median of DR 78 reflects real authority — not a long tail of weak sites dragging the number up. Price and authority do not move in lockstep; some high-DR verticals price lower than you would expect.
Use it to set a budget, not to shop
The index is for sizing a campaign — “a flagship finance feature sits near $3,150.” It is not a price list. Named outlets, current availability and the exact quote arrive in your proposal.
Methodology
We take the indicative market range we hold for each outlet, reduce it to a midpoint, and compute the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile per vertical across the entire curated catalog — 1,810 guaranteed-tier properties this period, all above the DR curation floor. Verticals with fewer than three qualifying outlets are withheld until the segment is deep enough to be meaningful, which is why the table shows 18 of the 21 verticals we track. The index is refreshed monthly; the figures above are the June 2026 reading. All numbers are indicative — the exact price for a specific outlet is confirmed in a proposal.
Disclaimer
The Premium Placement Price Index is published as a market reference for planning purposes. Figures are indicative medians of per-outlet market ranges, not quotes or commitments, and they move month to month with availability and demand. Editorial placement is never a guarantee of link attribute, search ranking or business outcome — link attributes follow each publisher's own policy, and we do not sell ranking guarantees. Always confirm the exact price, attributes and current availability for a named outlet inside a proposal before you commit.
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