With traditional TV on a slow death march, it’s not just broadcast media that’s scrambling to adapt to the changing new environment.
Political campaigns, candidates and organizations that historically rely heavily on standard TV to get their messages on the airwaves have also been disrupted by the growing trend of Americans cutting their cords in favor of streaming services. And we’re getting some fresh clues about how political groups have been forced to adjust where they’re investing their resources.
This cycle, the top super PACs associated with both House Republicans and Democrats are spending historic sums — roughly nearly $70 million combined — to place political ads on streaming services, according to a review conducted by Punchbowl News. The respective campaign committees are also increasingly pouring money into this space.
By the numbers: House Majority PAC, which is aligned with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic leadership, has invested more than $30 million on ads on streaming services this cycle. Meanwhile, the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is linked to Speaker Mike Johnson, has spent nearly $37 million on streaming so far — double what the organization spent the previous cycle.
With all this said, advertisements on broadcast and cable TV still account for the lion’s share of the organizations’ investments. The goal is to pump their messaging through a diverse media mix that acts as a sort of “surround sound” for targeted audiences, CLF President Dan Conston told us.
Yet it’s not hard to imagine a day when streaming dollars are on par with or even overtake traditional TV spending. Of course, that depends on how successful the streamer strategy is this cycle and whether and how Americans’ viewing habits continue to evolve. But Conston says they’ve already seen signs of impact.
Here’s more of what Conston told us about streaming ads:
The benefits: The most obvious upside is that political groups can better reach voters in cluttered media markets. Consumer viewing trends have significantly shifted in recent years among key demographics, including younger voters.
Streaming also gets them more bang for their buck. Buying ad time on traditional TV becomes increasingly expensive, especially later in the cycle. So streaming can be a cost-effective alternative, particularly for last-minute maneuvering.
It also allows for a more targeted approach. In most cases, the groups can’t get as granular as picking specific shows to advertise on. But after selecting the streaming service, they can target the ads to certain households.
One exception is YouTube. While organizations can’t target potential voters based on data or political affinity, they can choose to place ads with content that they think swing voters might be consuming.
Tailoring the content: In order to have maximum impact, both parties have started to tailor their content for streaming. An ad that may work for traditional TV might not always be a good fit for streaming.
CLF has dedicated more of its advertising budget to 15-second spots since viewing habits are different on streaming. Voters may have shorter attention spans while scrolling on their phones. But sources involved in the digital strategy said the ads also need to pass the eye test. For example, does the ad still make sense without sound?
Democrats, meanwhile, have created entirely new content to advertise on steaming, at least in some cases. The HMP has tapped influencers to make several TikTok-style political ads. Here are a few examples.
Traditional TV is still a big factor: There are still plenty of political ads being placed on old-school cable and broadcast TV. Live sports, which account for the majority of the top 100 shows on television, are a key part of CLF’s buying strategy, for instance. That’s especially true in the fall, when NFL football, college football, NHL hockey and playoff MLB baseball games are all airing.
And with the World Series this year a classic showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, there’s even more of an opportunity to reach voters in markets with key House races this cycle.
While those are expensive ad buys, the viewership is also likely to represent some key demographics. But even live sporting events are increasingly being shown on streaming.
