OpenAI sets $200K minimum for ChatGPT ads: what it means

ChatGPT is rapidly becoming a default “answer layer” for how people research, compare, and decide. That matters for B2B because when an answer engine becomes the first stop, it also becomes the first gatekeeper of demand.

Now there’s a clear signal that OpenAI is treating ChatGPT as a serious advertising surface—and it’s not starting with self-serve budgets.

The news/development

According to Google News’ OpenAI Advertising coverage (official announcement), OpenAI confirmed a minimum spend commitment for ChatGPT ads of **$200,000**. The announcement was framed as: **“EXCLUSIVE: OpenAI Confirms $200,000 Minimum Commitment for ChatGPT Ads.”**

That single number is the story: OpenAI is setting an entry point that immediately positions ChatGPT ads as an enterprise channel, not an experiment for casual spend.

Analysis: what this means for B2B marketers

A $200K minimum commitment changes the conversation in three ways for B2B marketing and media buying.

1) ChatGPT ads are being positioned as enterprise-first

A minimum commitment at this level effectively filters the market. It implies early access is designed for brands that can treat ChatGPT as a meaningful line item—not a “test and learn” channel in the low five figures.

For B2B teams, that means ChatGPT advertising (at least initially) will likely be evaluated the way you evaluate other high-stakes bets: with executive scrutiny, procurement involvement, and a clear measurement plan.

2) Paid visibility in answer engines is becoming a real budget decision

B2B marketers have already had to adapt to answer engines like **ChatGPT**, **Google AI Overviews**, **Copilot**, **Perplexity**, **Brave**, and **Meta AI** changing how discovery works. This announcement adds a new layer: the possibility that “being present in answers” isn’t only an organic problem.

Even if your strategy is primarily organic today, a minimum commitment for ChatGPT ads is a warning shot: answer-engine visibility is becoming a competitive marketplace.

3) The bar rises for attribution and proof

When a platform sets a $200K floor, you can’t justify it with soft outcomes. B2B buyers will ask: What pipeline did this influence? What accounts moved? What did we learn that we couldn’t learn elsewhere?

This is where many teams will struggle—not because the channel can’t work, but because they’re not instrumented to connect answer-engine presence to business outcomes. If you can’t explain the “why” and “how we’ll measure” before you spend, you’ll lose the internal argument.

Action items: what to do right now

You don’t need to commit $200K to act on this. You need to prepare for a world where answer engines are both a brand surface and a paid surface.

1) Decide if you’re even a candidate for ChatGPT ads—on paper

Create a one-page internal brief that answers:

• Why ChatGPT is a priority answer engine for your category
• What you would promote (not everything—one tight wedge)
• What success would look like if you did meet a $200K minimum commitment

This is about readiness. If you can’t articulate the use case clearly, you’re not ready to spend.

2) Build an “answer engine” measurement spine

Before any paid conversation, define what you will measure across answer engines (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Copilot, Perplexity, Brave, Meta AI). Keep it simple:

• The themes/questions you need to win
• The pages/assets you want cited or referenced
• The conversion events that matter (demo requests, contact, key content)

You’re creating a baseline so that if paid distribution becomes available (or required), you can judge lift against something real.

3) Pressure-test your messaging for answer-first environments

Ads inside an answer-driven context will punish vague positioning. Tighten:

• Your category definition (what you are)
• Your differentiation (why you’re different)
• Your proof points (why someone should believe you)

If you can’t say it clearly, an answer engine won’t either—and paid placement won’t fix that.

4) Treat AEO as the hedge against high minimums

A $200K minimum commitment is a reminder that you can’t rely on paid access alone. Invest in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) so you can earn visibility even when paid entry is expensive.

That means prioritizing content that directly answers the questions your buyers ask, with clean, quotable language your team would be comfortable seeing repeated in an answer engine.

Bottom line

OpenAI’s confirmed **$200,000 minimum commitment for ChatGPT ads** (per Google News’ OpenAI Advertising official announcement) signals that paid visibility in ChatGPT is being built for enterprise budgets. If you’re a B2B marketer, the move now is to get measurement and messaging ready—so you’re not scrambling when answer-engine media becomes a competitive requirement.