Last-Minute TV Buys Cost Political Groups an Extra $69 Million
Posted in: UncategorizedOn Saturday, a Republican group aiming to help elect Black conservatives ran a TV spot during the Georgia Bulldogs game on Atlanta’s CBS station WGCL. The Bulldogs lost to the Florida Gators in the annual grudge match, but political TV spending data shows they weren’t the only losers that day. Free at Last PAC, the Black Republican group, plunked down $150,000 for that one-minute ad opposing Democratic Senate hopeful Michelle Nunn. Buys like that one contributed to a $21.7 million loss for GOP party organizations and outside groups that bought TV late in the midterm race for the Senate.
The data comes from TV data and analytics firm Echelon Insights, which reported political advertisers spent a total of $69 million more on last-minute TV buying this midterm election cycle than they would have had they reserved ad space before October. The firm measured TV spending by political campaigns and advocacy groups on ads scheduled for October or early November through election day, today.
Free at Last PAC “are sort of getting played” by dropping $150,000 on a single spot, argued Patrick Ruffini, co-founder of Echelon. “It’s not about necessarily reaching the most people; it’s about making a name for yourself, saying you bought a very splashy campaign spot,” he said, suggesting outside groups sometimes use strategic buys in the hopes of generating earned media by news outlets. According to Federal Election Commission data, the Free at Last PAC media placement was made through Lagniappe Communications Group.
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