Midterm Political Ad Spending Set to Surpass 2024 Presidential Cycle at $11.6B
· 2h ago · Originally reported by PPC Land
US midterm election ad spending is projected to hit $11.6 billion, exceeding the 2024 presidential cycle. Connected TV will capture $2.6 billion of that total, while political podcast ad spend has already climbed 42% year over year.
Why it matters
Political advertising is one of the largest and fastest-growing verticals in digital media, and its expansion into CTV and podcasts signals where campaign dollars are flowing beyond traditional TV buys.
Explain it like I’m new here
It's like the school bake sale raising more money than the prom — the smaller, less-hyped election is now outspending the big one, and campaigns are spending that money on streaming and podcasts instead of just regular TV.
Terms in this story
Reach
Reach is the number (or percentage) of unique people or households who saw an ad at least once during a campaign, as opposed to the total number of impressions.
CTV (connected TV)
CTV (connected TV) is any television connected to the internet, such as a smart TV, streaming stick, games console or set-top box, and the advertising shown in streaming apps on it.
Go deeper
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