When you run a news channel on Telegram, you’re not just sharing updates-you’re managing a media business. And like any business, you need to know how to make money from it. Two models dominate Telegram’s advertising ecosystem: CPM and CPC. But they’re not interchangeable. Choosing the wrong one can cost you thousands in lost revenue-or worse, alienate your audience.
What CPM Really Means on Telegram
CPM stands for Cost Per Mille-literally, cost per thousand impressions. On Telegram’s official ad platform, you pay only when your sponsored message is seen, not when someone clicks it. This is the only model Telegram allows for its native ad system. If you’re running ads through ads.telegram.org, you’re locked into CPM. No exceptions.As of early 2026, the minimum bid is 0.1 TON, which is roughly $0.36-$0.50 USD depending on cryptocurrency rates. That might sound cheap, but here’s the catch: your channel must have at least 1,000 subscribers to qualify. Smaller news outlets? You’re out. But if you’ve built an audience, CPM can be powerful.
For example, a news publisher in Germany running a general news campaign might pay $1.50 CPM. That means for every 1,000 people who see your ad, you pay $1.50. In Uzbekistan, the same ad might cost just $0.022 CPM. That’s not a typo. Geographic pricing varies wildly. The more developed the market, the higher the rate. But even in high-cost regions, you’re paying for visibility, not action.
Why does this matter for news? Because news thrives on reach. If you’re covering breaking events-elections, natural disasters, global conflicts-your goal isn’t to get clicks. It’s to make sure as many people as possible see the headline. CPM gives you that scale. One publisher in Russia reported reaching 7.4 million people with a single CPM campaign for under $23,000. That’s exposure you can’t buy on Facebook or Twitter.
How CPC Works on Telegram (Through Third Parties)
Now, let’s talk about CPC: Cost Per Click. This isn’t offered by Telegram itself. Instead, platforms like PropellerAds, RichAds, and Mobidea let you run CPC campaigns on Telegram Mini-Apps, embedded banners, and push notifications. Here, you pay only when someone actually clicks your ad.For news publishers focused on driving traffic to their website, app, or subscription page, CPC is often the smarter play. In the U.S., CPC rates for news-related ads hover between $0.05 and $0.15. In France, it’s around $0.043. In Bangladesh? As low as $0.012. These aren’t guesses-they’re real data from advertisers running campaigns in January 2026.
Here’s what that looks like in practice: A news app publisher used SmartCPC on PropellerAds to target users interested in crypto news. They spent $1,200 and got 12,000 installs. That’s $0.10 per install. Compare that to their Facebook campaigns, which cost $0.34 per install. The difference isn’t just savings-it’s scalability.
But CPC isn’t magic. It requires setup. You need to integrate SDKs into your Telegram Mini-App. You need tracking pixels. You need to test different ad formats-push, interstitial, embedded banners. And you need to monitor performance daily. It’s more work than just uploading a message to your channel. But if your goal is conversions-subscriptions, sign-ups, downloads-CPC puts the risk where it belongs: on the advertiser, not the publisher.
Why You Can’t Just Pick One
Many news publishers make the mistake of treating Telegram as one platform. It’s not. It’s two: the official ad system and the third-party ecosystem. And they serve completely different purposes.Think of CPM as brand awareness. You’re planting a flag. You’re saying, “We’re here. This matters.” It’s perfect for breaking news, public service announcements, or building trust with a broad audience. You don’t need clicks. You need eyes.
CPC is performance marketing. You’re asking, “Who will act?” It’s for driving traffic to your site, growing your app, or converting readers into paying subscribers. You care about behavior, not just views.
A case study from WorldBulletin shows how this works in real life. They ran a CPM campaign on Telegram’s official platform targeting European news readers. The CPM was $0.85. They reached 1.2 million people. Then, they ran a CPC campaign through RichAds targeting users who had previously clicked on news links in Telegram. CPC was $0.12. They got 28,000 clicks. Together, their subscription conversion rate jumped 37% compared to using either method alone.
That’s the real strategy: use CPM to build awareness, then retarget with CPC to drive action. One feeds the other.
Geography Changes Everything
You can’t talk about Telegram advertising without talking about location. The platform’s user base is global, but monetization isn’t.In the CIS region (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan), CPM dominates. Why? Because most news publishers there have large audiences but limited tech resources. CPM is simple. You don’t need developers. You just post. And with CPM rates as low as $0.022, you can flood the market with visibility.
In North America and Western Europe, publishers are more likely to use CPC. Why? Because their audiences are harder to reach. They’re not passive scrollers. They’re selective. They ignore ads unless they’re relevant. So publishers invest in Mini-Apps, tracking, and smart targeting to get clicks from people who actually care.
Here’s the breakdown by market (January 2026 data):
| Region | CPM (Official Telegram) | CPC (Third-Party) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $1.85 | $0.085 |
| France | $1.25 | $0.043 |
| Germany | $1.60 | $0.070 |
| Uzbekistan | $0.022 | $0.012 |
| Bangladesh | $0.45 | $0.012 |
Notice something? In emerging markets, CPM and CPC rates are both low. But the ratio is different. In the U.S., CPM is over 20 times higher than CPC. That means if you’re targeting American readers, CPC gives you way more bang for your buck-if you can get the click.
What’s Changing in 2026
Telegram isn’t standing still. In December 2025, they announced plans to introduce interest-based CPM bidding in Q1 2026. Right now, you can only target by channel size and geography. Soon, you’ll be able to bid higher to show your news ad only to users who follow crypto, politics, or health channels.That’s huge. It means CPM won’t just be about reach anymore-it’ll start to get smarter. Publishers targeting niche audiences will finally have a way to avoid wasting money on irrelevant views.
Third-party platforms are also evolving. RichAds just launched “News Engagement” campaigns, which use AI to find users who consistently read news inside Telegram. Early results show CPCs 22% lower for publishers who qualify. That’s a direct win for those who’ve built a reputation for quality content.
But there’s a storm coming. The European Commission’s Digital Services Act guidelines, released in January 2026, specifically call out Telegram’s CPM model for news. They argue it encourages clickbait and low-quality content because publishers are paid just for views, not truth or value. If this leads to regulation, CPM rates could drop-or get restricted. Publishers who rely solely on CPM could be caught off guard.
What You Should Do Right Now
If you’re a news publisher on Telegram, here’s your action plan:- Check your channel size. If you have under 1,000 subscribers, skip the official platform. Focus on third-party CPC campaigns through PropellerAds or RichAds.
- If you’re over 1,000 subscribers, apply for the official Telegram ad platform. Start with a $50 budget and a 0.1 TON bid. Run a test campaign for two weeks.
- Set up a Mini-App. Even a simple one that links to your latest article can be a CPC engine. Use RichAds’ SDK-it takes 2-3 days to integrate.
- Run parallel campaigns. Use CPM for broad awareness. Use CPC to drive conversions. Track which one brings more subscribers, not just clicks.
- Test geo-targeting. Don’t blast the same ad everywhere. Run separate campaigns for the U.S., EU, and emerging markets. You’ll save money and improve results.
And here’s the hard truth: if you’re only doing CPM and hoping for clicks, you’re leaving money on the table. If you’re only doing CPC and ignoring reach, you’re missing the scale Telegram offers. The best news publishers use both.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming Telegram is like Facebook. It’s not. You can’t target by interests on the official platform. You can’t retarget. You can’t A/B test ad copy. It’s basic. Don’t expect advanced tools.
- Ignoring ad quality. Telegram’s algorithm favors messages with over 2% click-through rates. If your ad looks like spam, it won’t perform-no matter the model.
- Not tracking conversions. If you’re running CPC, you need to know what happens after the click. Did they subscribe? Did they read 3 articles? Track it.
- Waiting too long to start. The market is growing fast. In 2025, Telegram’s news ad revenue hit $480 million. By late 2026, it could hit $720 million. You don’t want to be the publisher who missed the wave.
Telegram is no longer just a messaging app. It’s a news distribution network with real advertising economics. The question isn’t whether to monetize. It’s whether you’ll use the right tools-and the right strategy-to do it well.
Is CPM better than CPC for news on Telegram?
Neither is universally better. CPM is best for brand awareness and reaching large audiences quickly, especially in emerging markets. CPC is better for driving specific actions like app installs, subscriptions, or website visits. The most successful news publishers use both: CPM to build visibility, CPC to drive conversions.
Can I use CPC on Telegram’s official ad platform?
No. Telegram’s official ad platform only supports CPM. CPC is only available through third-party networks like PropellerAds, RichAds, and Mobidea, which run ads via Telegram Mini-Apps, push notifications, and embedded banners-not in your channel feed.
How much does it cost to start advertising on Telegram?
For the official CPM platform, the minimum bid is 0.1 TON (about $0.36-$0.50). You can start with a $50 budget. For third-party CPC campaigns, most platforms require a minimum deposit of $100-$150. There’s no daily cap, but campaigns under $30/day may overspend.
Do I need a website to run ads on Telegram?
Not for CPM. You can promote your channel or public message directly. But for CPC campaigns-especially Mini-App ads-you need a way to track what happens after the click. That usually means a website, landing page, or app. Without it, you can’t measure success.
Why are CPM rates so low in Uzbekistan but high in the U.S.?
It’s about audience value. Advertisers pay more in wealthier markets because users there are more likely to convert-subscribe, buy, click through. In Uzbekistan, the cost of reaching someone is low because the average user generates less revenue. But with millions of users, even $0.022 CPM can be profitable at scale.
Can small news channels (under 1,000 subs) monetize on Telegram?
Yes-but not through Telegram’s official platform. They can use third-party CPC networks to run ads via Mini-Apps, push notifications, or embedded banners. These don’t require a minimum subscriber count. The trade-off? Less reach, but more control over performance and targeting.
What’s the future of Telegram news advertising?
By late 2026, CPC-based campaigns are expected to make up 45% of Telegram’s news ad revenue, up from 35% in 2025. Interest-based targeting for CPM is coming in early 2026, which will help niche publishers. But regulatory pressure from the EU could limit CPM models, pushing publishers toward more accountable, performance-based systems.
