Broadcast Ad Spending Fails to Decide Senate Races

Advertisers allocating budgets across broadcast, CTV and cable can see how heavy spending did not reliably decide this cycle's races.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Advertising

Broadcast Ad Spending Fails to Decide Senate Races

Live Poll

Do you think heavy political ad spending actually helps candidates win elections?

Political advertisers spent about $5.84 billion on broadcast ads in the 2026 midterms cycle, roughly half of nearly $12 billion in total ad spending. Broadcast spending was concentrated in high-profile Senate races, including Texas, where Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton.

Why it matters

For advertising operators, the cycle shows how political money is allocated across broadcast, connected TV and cable, and how heavy spending did not guarantee victory in several races. Outspending in one channel does not reliably translate into electoral results, which is a useful caution for any buyer weighing media mix.

Broadcast accounted for roughly half of nearly $12 billion in political ad spending this cycle, with CTV at $2.61 billion and cable at $1.27 billion. In Ohio, Husted and allies accounted for 61 percent of $292 million in broadcast spending, and the Michigan Senate race drew about $161 million in broadcast spending.

The players

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party is one of the two major U.S. political parties, whose candidates in these races drew the Senate wins reported here.

Republican Party

The Republican Party is one of the two major U.S. political parties, whose candidates lost the Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Georgia, North Carolina and Kansas Senate races reported here.

The details

Broadcast ad metrics are easily accessible, which lets advertisers track how many people they reach and when. Political advertisers spread their budgets across broadcast, CTV and cable, so buyers can compare reach and timing across platforms. The Texas, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina results show that a spending advantage on broadcast did not always carry the race.

The 2026 midterms cycle saw about $5.84 billion in broadcast political ad spending.
Election results were delivered on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Georgia, North Carolina and Kansas.

Market Landscape

Political ad budgets this cycle were divided among broadcast, CTV and cable, with broadcast making up roughly half of nearly $12 billion in total spending. The CTV share of about 22 percent, compared with cable at about 11 percent, shows how digital video is taking a larger role in political media buys.

Advertisers planning media budgets should weigh the cost and reach of broadcast against the growing role of CTV and cable, since those channels absorbed a meaningful share of cycle spend. Track reach and timing data across platforms before committing a large share of budget to any single channel.

The takeaway

The cycle shows that spending advantage in one channel does not guarantee results, so operators should test channel mix against measurable outcomes. Monitor how CTV and cable shares move in the next cycle as a signal of where political and commercial budgets are heading.