Many are predicting the total political advertising dollars associated with the 2022 mid-term election season to be record-smashing, with broadcast television and radio riding on the coattails of digital media, direct mail and out-of-home (OOH).
That said, the power of local TV remains very strong. What are the markets that are sizzling, with respect to political ad dollar activity? Newly released projections shared exclusively with RBR+TVBR show where all of the heat is from coast to coast, on a DMA level.
The updated data come from Broadbeam Media, and Director of Strategy and Research Tess Erickson says, “Toss-up elections in both the Senate and governorship, as well as a number of undecided House contests, made Phoenix the DMA we expect the highest relative spend in of any market.”
It’s a continuation of a 2020 cycle where political spending in this market “was unavoidable,” she adds. And, the scorching spending comes “despite a redistricting that was predicted to make a number of the House seats that overlap this DMA less competitive.”
Meanwhile, Atlanta will remain a top market for relatively political spending, as will much of Georgia.
Furthermore, the biggest increases in spend relative to market size will be seen in markets across Ohio (mainly Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus); Nevada; Pennsylvania; and Wisconsin (in particular Milwaukee, Madison, and La Crosse).
“Ohio will have both a gubernatorial and senate election this cycle that will be relatively competitive,” Erickson says. “This, along with a few competitive House races and a high level of political spending earlier this year, has us proceeding with caution.”
Also enjoying more spending than usual is New York, the DMA and not so much the state. Overlapping so many different districts is one reason. Redistricting across the vast market is also a factor.
Among the hot markets are Dallas, Grand Rapids, Omaha, and Los Angeles, with the latter two “very hot” going in to September.
But, what are the coldest markets? Knoxville; Lake Charles, La.; Eureka-Arcata, Calif.; and Draper Media home Salisbury-Ocean City, Md., will see the lowest political ad dollar bump.
