VIRTUAL ADVERTISING
Virtual advertising on Korean TV: rates and types
On the SBS Cre@m rate card, line items like rating-notice, end-logo and scene-transition overlays are virtual advertising — a computer-graphics ad composited onto the broadcast picture, with nothing physically present on set. That makes it a different product from product placement (PPL) and sponsorship, both in how it is made and in which rules apply. Below: the slot types, this issue's published rates, and how it differs from PPL and sponsorship.
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In one paragraph
Virtual advertising is a computer-graphics ad defined by Article 59-2 of the Broadcasting Act enforcement decree, composited live into part of the broadcast frame. On the SBS Cre@m October 2026 issue (vol.178), published rates run from KRW 5M to KRW 180M per slot depending on the slot and the programme, and 14 of the 24 programmes on this issue's card carry a virtual-ad slot.
What virtual advertising is: a CG overlay, not a prop
Virtual advertising is one of the broadcast-advertising types set out in Article 73(2) of the Broadcasting Act, with Article 59-2 of the enforcement decree defining the conditions. A broadcaster inserts a virtual image into the programme frame; nothing exists on the physical set, and the image is composited at transmission. That is the core difference from product placement, where a real product sits in the shot.
Virtual advertising vs PPL vs sponsorship announcement
The three products differ in how they appear on screen and in which law governs them. Comparing them on the same basis is how a quote gets misread.
| Product | How it appears | Legal basis | How price is set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual advertising | Composited by CG in real time (nothing physical) | Enforcement decree Art. 59-2 | SBS Cre@m card, flat rate per slot |
| Product placement (PPL) | A real prop or background presence | Enforcement decree Art. 59-3 | SBS Cre@m card, by exposure tier (Lv1/Lv2) |
| Sponsorship announcement | Sponsor name in an end-credit caption only, no in-scene exposure | Broadcasting Act Art. 74 · Sponsorship Announcement Rules | Quoted case by case (no published card) |
PPL and sponsorship rates and rules are on PPL cost, Broadcast sponsorship cost and Placement & sponsorship rules.
SBS virtual-ad rates by slot, this issue
The Cre@m card prices virtual advertising by slot rather than by programme, and the same slot carries a different fee on every programme. Below is every slot that actually carried a price on the October 2026 issue (vol.178), grouped by type and shown as a range.
| Slot | What it is | Programmes carrying it | This issue's range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating-notice overlay | Composited onto the broadcast-rating screen | 14 | KRW 5M – 120M |
| Epilogue overlay | Composited onto the closing recap screen after the episode ends | 12 | KRW 15M – 180M |
| Scene-transition overlay | Composited onto a segment/scene change | 9 | KRW 10M – 20M |
| Song-info overlay | Composited onto the track-info screen (music countdown shows only) | 1 (SBS Inkigayo) | KRW 9M |
The top figures for rating-notice and end-logo (KRW 120M, KRW 180M) belong to a single drama title, Doctor X; every other variety or current-affairs programme on the card falls between KRW 5M and 25M. Lumping drama and variety into one range would be misleading, so the outlier is flagged rather than hidden. Exact per-programme figures are on PPL & ad rates by programme.
Of the 24 programmes on this issue's card, 14 carry at least one virtual-ad slot. The other 10 simply have no published rate on this issue — that is not the same as being ineligible.
Production: specs and lead time
SBS M&C does not publish creative specifications, production lead time or production cost for virtual-ad assets, so none of that appears here. If you are scoping a campaign, tell us the programme and slot and we will confirm and quote.
Rules, in short: what is not allowed
Virtual advertising runs under tighter rules than PPL. The full text is on Placement, sponsorship and virtual-advertising rules; here is the part specific to virtual ads.
- Screen size
- As of 4 August 2026, the enforcement decree in force (Presidential Decree No. 36355, effective 2026-05-26) caps virtual advertising, like PPL, at one-quarter of the screen. A revision pre-announced on 15 June 2026 would raise that to one-third, but it was not yet promulgated as of 4 August 2026.
- Demonstrating function
- A presenter is barred from demonstrating a virtual-ad product's function on air. PPL is not barred from this outright — only excessive emphasis is restricted, under the review regulation rather than the decree — which is a real difference between the two.
- Eligible genres
- A 12 June 2026 press release from the Korea Broadcasting Media Communications Commission states the pending revision would extend virtual advertising to current-affairs/culture programming. As of 4 August 2026 that revision is not in force, so genre eligibility should be confirmed before planning.
FAQ
- What exactly is virtual advertising?
- An advertising method under Article 59-2 of the Broadcasting Act enforcement decree: a virtual image, typically CG, is inserted into the programme frame. Nothing physical exists on set — it is composited at broadcast.
- How is virtual advertising different from PPL?
- Virtual advertising is composited by CG; PPL is a real product physically present in the shot. They also sit under different articles of the enforcement decree — 59-2 and 59-3.
- How much does virtual advertising cost?
- On the October 2026 SBS Cre@m issue, published rates run from KRW 5M to KRW 180M depending on slot and programme. Most variety and current-affairs titles fall between KRW 5M and 25M; the top figure belongs to a single drama title.
- Can I run a virtual ad on any programme?
- 14 of the 24 programmes on this issue's card have a published virtual-ad rate. The rest simply have no rate on this issue — ask about a specific title and we will check.
- How long does production take, and what does it cost?
- SBS M&C has not published lead time or production cost, so this page does not state one. Tell us the programme and slot and we will confirm.
- How is the effect of a virtual ad measured?
- SELLi does not yet have measurement data solid enough to publish on this page. Delivered examples are on Case studies.
Sources
Tell us the programme and budget and we will work out which slot fits.
Ask about virtual advertising