Viamedia Sees Dramatic Growth in Midterm Political Ad Spending, Setting Records

Country’s Leading Independent Provider of Ad-Sales Representation to Cable TV Systems Sees Triple-Digit – and Higher – Growth in “Battleground” States

Viamedia, the leading fully-integrated independent cross-media local advertising company, announced record first quarter midterm political advertising, representing an increase of 42% vs. first quarter 2018, across all political categories – including House, Senate, gubernatorial, local races and issues – throughout its footprint across the country.

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“What we’re seeing, so far this season, underscores the reliability of political advertising directed primarily at linear television platforms”

The company saw particularly robust activity in hotly contested states.

• In North Carolina, Viamedia saw 266% growth for first quarter 2022 vs. first quarter 2018, driven by conservative political action committee (PAC) spending, including for the open U.S. Senate race there;
• In Georgia, Viamedia saw 277% growth, driven by spending in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races;
• In Pennsylvania, home to a gubernatorial contest and a particularly high-profile Senate race, both open-seat races, Viamedia saw 670% spending growth;
• In California, Viamedia saw an explosion of issues spending around climate change and gambling, driving up the spending the company handles there 3,399%;
• And in Ohio the company has seen spending vault by 6,561% across various races, including another high-profile, open-seat Senate contest.

The company also saw a significant spike in digital political advertising, driving the portion of spending on digital to 18% of the total in first quarter 2022 vs. 4% in first quarter 2018 – though the digital spending remains dwarfed by linear TV spending.

The data was culled from political advertising purchased on more than 60 multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) of various sizes in more than 70 markets.

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“What we’re seeing, so far this season, underscores the reliability of political advertising directed primarily at linear television platforms,” said David Solomon, President & CEO at Viamedia. “We have robust insights into the local ad trends around the country.”

He added, “Campaigns and PACs understand the power of the big-screen format – whether linear TV, CTV or OTT – for getting their messages across to constituents. All video providers are now managing record order inflows. Nothing beats local for candidates seeking to get their message out and for our clients to super-serve this cycle’s political advertising.”