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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The Sponsorship Group for Public Television (SGPTV) represents PBS’s leading programs and offers brands the best corporate sponsorship opportunities on PBS and PBS KIDS nationally. With so many leading PBS programs available for sponsorship exclusively through one sales organization — including ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, MASTERPIECE, NOVA, FRONTLINE, Arthur, Wild Kratts, Molly of Denali, and many more titles that span American history, science, and lifestyle shows — SGPTV is a one-stop shop for brand marketers, media buyers, media planners, and other media professionals, interested in reaching the audience delivered by PBS leading series. In addition to offering brands the largest selection of PBS programs, SGPTV national sponsor packages include visibility across multiple platforms including PBS’s linear television series, streaming channels, digital platforms, podcasts, and FAST (Free Ad Supported Television) channels. The PBS programs that SGPTV sells for corporate sponsorship are sold exclusively through SGPTV.

PBS National Sales is a separate sales organization for select PBS programs.

We will partner with you to create a sponsor package to meet your goals.

  • Multiplatform packages, which include digital, streaming video, linear TV, podcasts, display banners, and FAST Channels
  • Annual sponsorship of a single ongoing series, with maximum sponsor visibility
  • Shorter flights for ongoing series, such as 13 weeks
  • Shorter flights of multiple series
  • Sponsorships of limited series
  • Digital-only packages

Yes! PBS is available in 97% of US TV Households through 359 member stations in 50 states.

Yes! PBS ratings can be accessed through NPower in the Nielsen National TV Toolbox. Please review the documents at these links to learn how to pull ratings for PBS and PBS KIDS programs.

Yes! PBS offers sponsorships of streaming video on multiple platforms (PBS.org and PBSKIDS.org, PBS Video apps, PBS apps on OTT/Connected TV devices), podcasts, display banners on PBS.org and PBS.org/Parents, and native content sponsorships on YouTube.

Sponsor messages on PBS must comply with FCC Guidelines for messaging on non-commercial media. Research shows that creative that aligns with the non-commercial tone of PBS resonates better with PBS viewers, and is noticed more!

A spot for commercial platforms might be acceptable on PBS. Another option is for our creative clearance team to work with sponsors to develop a custom spot for PBS, edit an existing spot, or have our in-house creative team develop a spot for their sponsorship. View or download documents to learn about PBS Primetime and PBS KIDS guidelines and the creative process and visit our Sponsors page to see examples of successful spots from our sponsors.

PBS accepts :15s or :30s in general audience content, and :15s in children’s content.

View or download the technical specs for video and digital messaging on PBS platforms.

A PBS pledge drive is an on-air fundraising effort that helps raise necessary funds to produce PBS’s high-quality programming and content. “Viewers Like You” donate to their local PBS station, proving that PBS viewers have a uniquely close relationship and appreciation for PBS and its quality programming.

Pledge periods generally run for 10 days to three weeks (consecutively) each quarter. Regularly scheduled programming is often interrupted for fundraising appeals, or for special pledge programming. PBS sponsor spots are typically preempted during pledge. A sponsor’s linear TV package does not include pledge programs.

On linear TV, SGPTV offers national buys only, airing across PBS member stations. If you are interested in a local market or regional TV buy, let us know and we will forward your request to the appropriate sales team. You can also find your local PBS affiliate online for their contact details.

Geographic and demographic targeting is available for digital buys. Contact us to learn more.

SGPTV offers sponsorships of select cooking and travel lifestyle series (see “Lifestyle” genre in our Programs section), which typically air on weekends. Agencies and marketing decision-makers are occasionally approached directly by producers and sales representatives seeking corporate sponsorship support for their lifestyle programs on public television. It can be confusing, and we’re here to help! View or download this document for information and tips on how to evaluate lifestyle opportunities not offered through SGPTV.

Become a corporate sponsor on PBS

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