As campaigning for the 2020 presidential election heads into its final months, political ad spending will hit an all-time high. The highly partisan political environment is driving more Americans to donate money to their preferred candidates than in past election seasons, which in turn is funneling more money into advertising.
In our first forecast on political ad spending, we include spending on federal, state and local ads, including political action committee (PAC) ads for candidates and lobbying activities. It also includes ads for legislative or regulatory issues in which there is a specific call to action like voting or calling a congressional representative. Spending is counted in the year the ad runs. It does not include self-promoting ads from brands loosely tied to political causes or ideas.
Total Political Spending
Total political ad spending in the 2019/2020 election cycle will reach $6.89 billion. Political ad spending fluctuates dramatically from year to year, spiking in even years and dipping in odd years.