Reference library · TV budgeting
GRP Delivery (Under-/Over-Delivery vs Plan)
GRP delivery is the ratio of GRPs actually aired to the GRPs contracted in the media plan, expressed as a percentage. It tells the buyer whether the seller under-delivered, matched, or over-delivered the guaranteed audience weight, which determines whether a make-good is owed.
Formula
Worked example
A 3-week TV flight targeting women 25-54 is planned at 380 GRPs. Post-campaign measurement shows 410 GRPs actually delivered. Delivery % = 410/380 x 100 = 107.9%. Variance = 410 - 380 = +30 GRPs, a 7.9% over-delivery. The seller met the contract and delivered bonus weight beyond the guarantee, so no make-good is owed and the buyer notes the surplus reach for the post-buy report.
How it is used
Buyers track delivery weekly against a pacing curve, not just as a single number at flight end, because a campaign can land at 100% cumulative GRPs while still running weeks of under-delivery followed by a late catch-up that skews frequency distribution. Sellers usually guarantee delivery within a tolerance band, commonly plus or minus 5-10%, and owe make-good GRPs in a future flight if delivery falls below that band. The mistake practitioners make is treating the end-of-campaign total as sufficient proof of a clean delivery, when uneven pacing already damaged the flight's reach curve.
The common mistake
Check delivery against the weekly pacing plan, not only the campaign-end total, since an on-target cumulative number can hide weeks of under-delivery that already distorted reach and frequency.