Soft Core, Political Prowess: Broadcast Media’s Year In Advertising

The S&P Global Market Intelligence Radio & TV Annual Outlook for 2024 is out, and the conclusion is simple: political advertising, at a record level, is helping to send total advertising revenue for the year up by some 9.3% from 2023.

Minus those election-focused dollars, however, core ad categories aren’t so active. S&P blames high interest rates and inflationary pressures “dampening consumer spending on big-ticket items.” It didn’t mention the Big Tech dollar siphon that’s presenting a revenue crisis to broadcast media across North America.