Campaign managers need real numbers, not vague ranges. This guide provides actual political ad rates for the 2026 midterm elections based on industry data and platform pricing.
The 2026 cycle will see record political ad spending of $10.8 billion according to AdImpact projections. That competition drives up rates across every platform. Understanding current pricing helps you budget accurately and negotiate effectively.
Whether you're running for Congress or city council, this breakdown covers every major channel with specific rate ranges so you can plan your media budget with confidence.
How political ad rates work
Before diving into numbers, understand the pricing models you'll encounter across different platforms.
Cost per thousand (CPM)
CPM measures cost per 1,000 impressions or viewers reached. Most digital, streaming, and cable advertising uses CPM pricing.
How to calculate ad cost from CPM: Cost = (Desired impressions / 1,000) × CPM rate
Example: To reach 100,000 viewers at $25 CPM: Cost = (100,000 / 1,000) × $25 = $2,500
CPM pricing makes comparing platforms straightforward. A $30 CPM on Hulu versus $15 CPM on Tubi tells you exactly what each impression costs.
Cost per point (CPP)
Broadcast TV often uses cost per rating point. One rating point equals 1% of the target demographic in a market.
How to calculate ad cost from CPP: Cost = Target GRPs × CPP rate
Example: To achieve 200 GRPs at $500 CPP: Cost = 200 × $500 = $100,000
GRP planning helps broadcast buyers think in terms of reach and frequency rather than raw impressions.
Spot rates
Traditional broadcast TV also sells individual spots at fixed rates based on program and daypart. These rates vary dramatically by market and demand. A Super Bowl spot costs millions; a Tuesday morning spot on local news costs hundreds.
Minimum commitments
Many platforms require minimum monthly or campaign spends:
Broadcast TV: Often $5,000-50,000+ minimum
Cable TV: $2,000-15,000+ minimum
Premium CTV: $10,000-50,000 minimum
Self-serve CTV: As low as $50-100
These minimums affect which platforms are accessible to different campaign sizes.
Broadcast TV political ad rates
Broadcast television (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox affiliates) remains the most expensive but highest-reach option for political advertising.
Major market rates (Top 10 DMAs)
Major markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia command premium pricing due to high demand and large populations:
Prime time (8-11 PM):
30-second spot: $15,000-75,000
During high-rated shows: $30,000-100,000+
Live sports: $40,000-150,000+
Evening news (5-7 PM):
30-second spot: $3,000-20,000
Anchor-adjacent: $5,000-25,000
Political programming blocks: $8,000-30,000
Morning news/talk (6-10 AM):
30-second spot: $1,500-10,000
Weather/traffic adjacency: $2,000-12,000
Daytime (10 AM-5 PM):
30-second spot: $500-3,000
Talk shows: $800-5,000
Late night (11 PM-1 AM):
30-second spot: $1,000-8,000
Late-night talk shows: $3,000-15,000
Mid-size market rates (DMAs 11-50)
Markets like Denver, San Diego, Portland, Charlotte, and Indianapolis offer more reasonable pricing while still delivering significant reach:
Prime time:
30-second spot: $2,000-10,000
Sports programming: $4,000-20,000
Evening news:
30-second spot: $500-3,000
Extended coverage: $800-4,000
Morning shows:
30-second spot: $300-1,500
Daytime:
30-second spot: $100-600
Late night:
30-second spot: $200-1,500
Small market rates (DMAs 51+)
Smaller markets and regional stations offer the most affordable broadcast rates:
Prime time:
30-second spot: $200-2,000
Local sports: $500-3,000
Evening news:
30-second spot: $100-600
Morning shows:
30-second spot: $50-300
Daytime:
30-second spot: $25-150
Late night:
30-second spot: $50-400
These rates make broadcast TV accessible for state legislative and some local races in smaller markets.
Lowest unit rate protections
Section 315(b) of the Communications Act sets the lowest unit rate (LUR). In the 45 days before a primary and the 60 days before a general or special election, a broadcast station or cable system can charge a legally qualified candidate no more than its lowest unit charge for the same class and amount of time in the same period. Outside those windows, candidates pay what other advertisers pay for comparable time. (47 U.S.C. 315)
Who qualifies:
Legally qualified candidates for any public office, so federal, state and local candidates all qualify. The candidate has to be the one using the time, which in practice means appearing in the ad.
Federal candidates also have to certify in writing that any ad that mentions an opponent will carry the required disclosure. On TV, that disclosure is a clear image of the candidate plus a printed statement, shown together for at least 4 seconds at the end, saying the candidate approved the ad and their committee paid for it.
Who doesn't qualify: PACs, Super PACs, issue advocacy groups and other third parties. They pay the station's regular rates, which can rise in the weeks before an election when demand for airtime peaks.
The statute covers broadcast stations and cable systems. Streaming and CTV inventory is sold at market rates. For the full rules, see our guide to the lowest unit rate for political ads.
Cable TV political ad rates
Cable networks offer targeting by content and zone at lower price points than broadcast.
National cable networks
News networks (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC):
CPM: $20-40
Per-spot range: $1,000-25,000 (varies by show)
Prime time anchors: $5,000-40,000
Minimum commitment: $25,000-100,000+
Sports networks (ESPN, regional sports):
CPM: $25-50
Per-spot during games: $3,000-50,000
Regional sports networks: $500-10,000
Minimum commitment: $10,000-50,000
Entertainment networks (USA, TNT, HGTV, Discovery):
CPM: $10-25
Per-spot range: $500-5,000
Minimum commitment: $10,000-25,000
Local cable (system buys)
Local cable systems sell time in specific geographic areas:
Full system buy:
CPM: $5-15
Per-spot range: $25-200
Minimum monthly spend: $5,000-20,000
Zone targeting:
CPM: $8-20 (premium for targeting)
Per-spot range: $35-250
Minimum monthly spend: $3,000-15,000
Zone buying adds 10-25% to base rates but reduces waste for district-specific races.
Regional cable interconnects
Interconnects coordinate buys across multiple cable systems in a market:
Major market interconnects:
CPM: $12-30
Minimum monthly spend: $10,000-50,000
Coverage: Multiple counties/systems
Mid-size market interconnects:
CPM: $8-20
Minimum monthly spend: $5,000-25,000
Interconnects simplify buying across fragmented cable systems but require larger commitments.
Connected TV (CTV) political ad rates
CTV and streaming platforms offer precision targeting with growing reach among cord-cutters. For many campaigns, CTV now offers the best balance of reach, targeting, and cost efficiency.
Premium streaming platforms
Hulu:
CPM: $30-45
Political inventory available with verification
Disney Advertising Sales handles buying
Minimum commitment: $20,000-50,000 (direct)
Peacock:
CPM: $25-40
NBC Universal content environment
Strong news and sports inventory
Minimum commitment: $15,000-40,000
Paramount+:
CPM: $25-40
CBS news content available
Sports including NFL
Minimum commitment: $15,000-35,000
Disney+ (ad-supported):
CPM: $35-50
Premium family and entertainment content
Limited political ad acceptance
Minimum commitment: $25,000+
Max (HBO):
CPM: $30-50
Premium content environment
Highly limited political inventory
Invitation-only political advertising
FAST channels (Free Ad-Supported)
FAST channels offer strong value with growing viewership:
Tubi:
CPM: $12-22
Large reach, Fox-owned
Broad content library
Lower minimum commitments
Pluto TV:
CPM: $12-20
Paramount-owned
Diverse content including news
Geographic targeting available
Roku Channel:
CPM: $15-25
Native Roku content
Original programming
Strong device reach
Samsung TV+:
CPM: $12-22
Built into Samsung smart TVs
No app download required
Good reach to streaming viewers
Amazon Freevee:
CPM: $18-28
Amazon Prime Video free tier
Amazon DSP integration
Growing original content
Self-serve CTV platforms
Platforms like Adwave offer direct access to political CTV advertising without agency relationships:
Self-serve CTV rates:
CPM: $20-35
Media budgets from $30/day (plus $60 starter credit)
No agency fees or markups
Geographic targeting included
AI creative tools available
At $25 CPM, a $1,000 CTV campaign delivers 40,000 impressions to targeted voters. For a city council district of 30,000 households, that's meaningful reach without broadcast TV's wasted impressions reaching voters outside your district.
Self-serve platforms have transformed political CTV advertising by eliminating traditional barriers to entry.
Digital political ad rates
Digital channels complement TV with additional touchpoints and targeting options.
Video advertising
YouTube:
Skippable video: $10-25 CPM
Non-skippable (15 sec): $15-35 CPM
Bumper ads (6 sec): $8-20 CPM
Minimum daily spend: Flexible ($10+)
Political verification required
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) video:
In-feed video: $8-20 CPM
Reels: $10-25 CPM
Stories: $6-15 CPM
Strict political ad verification and "Paid for by" disclosure required
Social media display advertising
Facebook/Instagram:
Image ads: $5-15 CPM
Carousel: $6-18 CPM
Click cost: $0.50-3.00 CPC
Extensive targeting options (with restrictions)
X (Twitter):
Promoted posts: $8-20 CPM
Engagement cost: $1-4 per engagement
Amplify pre-roll: $12-25 CPM
LinkedIn:
Political ads are not available under LinkedIn’s advertising policy.
TikTok:
Political ads are not available under TikTok’s advertising policy.
Programmatic display
Standard display:
CPM: $2-8
Viewability varies widely
Broad reach, lower engagement
Premium placements:
CPM: $5-15
Higher quality inventory
Better viewability guarantees
Native advertising:
CPM: $8-20
Content-style placements
Higher engagement rates
Search advertising
Google Ads:
Candidate name terms: $2-10 CPC
Issue-related terms: $1-5 CPC
Generic political terms: $3-15 CPC
Competition varies dramatically by race
Microsoft Ads (Bing):
Generally 20-30% lower than Google
Older demographic skew
Lower volume but less competition
Radio political ad rates
Radio remains relevant for reach and frequency, especially for voter mobilization.
Major market radio rates
Drive time (6-10 AM, 3-7 PM):
30-second spot: $200-800
Talk radio premiums: $300-1,200
Sports radio: $250-900
Midday (10 AM-3 PM):
30-second spot: $75-300
Evenings/weekends:
30-second spot: $50-200
Small market radio rates
Drive time:
30-second spot: $25-150
Midday:
30-second spot: $15-75
Evenings/weekends:
30-second spot: $10-50
Radio excels at frequency due to lower unit costs. Campaigns often use radio to reinforce TV messages and drive turnout.
Rate factors and timing
Multiple factors affect the rates you'll pay.
Timing premiums
Political ad rates increase as Election Day approaches:
January-June: Baseline rates (lowest)
July-August: 20-40% above baseline
September: 50-80% above baseline
October: 100-200% above baseline
Final 2 weeks: 150-300% above baseline
Campaigns that start early pay significantly less for comparable reach. A $10,000 January buy might cost $25,000-30,000 in October.
Competitive market premiums
Battleground states see higher rates due to competitive demand:
High-premium states (2026):
Georgia, Arizona, Nevada
Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin
Ohio, North Carolina, Florida
Expect 30-60% higher rates in these states compared to non-competitive markets during peak election season.
Daypart efficiency
Some dayparts deliver better value for political campaigns:
Best value dayparts:
Evening news - engaged, politically interested viewers
Prime time access (7-8 PM) - lower rates than prime, strong viewership
Morning news - politically engaged audience, reasonable rates
Weekend sports - captive audiences, good demographics
Lower value dayparts:
Daytime - lowest engagement, cheapest rates
Late fringe (after midnight) - very limited reach
Weekend morning - often children's programming
Inventory type impact
Not all ad slots are equal:
Fixed position (guaranteed): 20-50% premium
Run of schedule (ROS): Standard rates, station flexibility
Preemptible: 10-30% discount (risk of being bumped by higher-paying advertisers)
Political campaigns often pay premiums for guaranteed positioning, especially in final weeks when inventory becomes scarce and preemption risk is highest.
Calculating your campaign costs
Use these benchmarks to estimate your advertising budget.
Federal race benchmarks
Competitive Senate race (statewide):
Total media budget: $10-50 million
TV/CTV allocation: $6-35 million
Per-week spend (final month): $1-5 million
Competitive House race:
Total media budget: $1-5 million
TV/CTV allocation: $500K-3 million
Per-week spend (final month): $100-500K
State race benchmarks
Governor/statewide office:
Total media budget: $2-20 million
TV/CTV allocation: $1-12 million
Per-week spend (final month): $200K-2 million
State legislature:
Total media budget: $50,000-500,000
TV/CTV allocation: $25,000-300,000
Per-week spend (final month): $10,000-50,000
Local race benchmarks
County-wide races:
Total media budget: $25,000-200,000
CTV/digital allocation: $15,000-120,000
Per-week spend (final month): $5,000-25,000
City/municipal races:
Total media budget: $5,000-75,000
CTV/digital allocation: $3,000-50,000
Per-week spend (final month): $1,000-15,000
School board/small local:
Total media budget: $2,000-25,000
CTV/digital allocation: $1,000-20,000
Per-week spend (final month): $500-5,000
For local races, CTV advertising typically delivers better value than broadcast TV. The precision targeting eliminates waste from reaching voters outside your district.
Negotiating better rates
You can often improve on standard rate card pricing with the right approach.
Broadcast TV negotiation tactics
Request avails early: Earlier requests get better rates and more options. Stations reward proactive buyers.
Commit to volume: Larger buys earn discounts of 10-25% for major commitments. Bundle buys across flight dates.
Accept flexibility: Run-of-schedule or broad rotations cost less than fixed positions. If you can accept station flexibility, rates drop.
Bundle stations: Multi-station buys in a market can earn package discounts of 10-20%.
Negotiate make-goods: Get written commitments for replacement spots if you're preempted by a higher-paying advertiser.
Know LUR windows: For federal candidates, understand when lowest unit rate kicks in and maximize buys during those periods.
CTV and digital negotiation
Test first: Start with small tests ($500-2,000) to validate performance before major commitments.
Commit to longer flights: Monthly or quarterly commitments often earn 5-15% lower CPMs.
Use self-serve platforms: Eliminate agency markups (typically 10-20%) by buying directly.
Target efficiently: Tighter targeting reduces wasted impressions even at higher CPMs. $30 CPM reaching only your voters beats $15 CPM reaching half non-voters.
Agency vs. self-serve economics
Traditional agencies charge fees on top of media costs:
Typical agency fees:
10-15% of media spend
$5,000-15,000 monthly minimums
Additional creative production fees
Research and planning fees
Self-serve platforms:
No agency fees
No minimums (or very low minimums)
Often include creative tools
Transparent pricing
For campaigns under $50,000 in media spend, self-serve platforms often deliver better net value. Larger campaigns may benefit from agency relationships for broadcast buying expertise and relationship-based rate negotiations.
Disclosures and production
Every political ad on broadcast TV needs a sponsor identification that says who paid for it (47 CFR 73.1212). Federal candidates who want the lowest unit rate also need the on-screen approval statement described above. Build both into the ad from the start so the station doesn't reject it close to air date.
Production can cost more than airtime for a small race. A candidate talking to camera, shot simply and edited cleanly, is often enough for a local campaign. Our guide on how to make a commercial covers the steps.
Common questions
What is the average cost of a 30-second political TV ad in 2026?
Average costs vary dramatically by market. In major markets (New York, LA), expect $15,000-75,000 for prime time. Mid-size markets run $2,000-10,000. Small markets can be as low as $200-2,000. CTV/streaming offers a consistent $20-35 CPM regardless of market, making it more predictable and often more efficient for targeted campaigns.
How much does CTV political advertising cost compared to broadcast?
CTV political advertising typically costs $20-35 CPM, while broadcast TV effectively runs $30-100+ CPM when accounting for wasted reach outside your district. For targeted local campaigns, CTV delivers 2-3x more in-district impressions per dollar. Plus, CTV campaigns can start from $30/day versus $5,000+ minimums for broadcast.
Do political ad rates go up before elections?
Yes, significantly. Rates can increase 100-300% in the final weeks before Election Day compared to earlier in the year. January-June offers the lowest rates. Starting earlier saves substantial money - a $10,000 January buy might cost $25,000-30,000 in October for equivalent reach and frequency.
What's the lowest unit rate and who gets it?
The lowest unit rate (LUR) caps what broadcast stations and cable systems can charge a legally qualified candidate: no more than the station's lowest unit charge for the same class and amount of time, during the 45 days before a primary and the 60 days before a general election. It applies to candidates for any office, federal, state or local. PACs, Super PACs and issue groups don't get it and pay regular rates.
How much should a local campaign budget for TV advertising?
Local campaigns (city, county, school board) typically allocate $5,000-50,000 for TV/CTV advertising. At $25 CPM on CTV, a $5,000 campaign delivers 200,000 impressions - enough to reach voters in a small district multiple times. Skip broadcast TV for most local races due to wasted reach outside your district.
Are political ad rates negotiable?
Yes, especially for broadcast TV. Request rate cards early, commit to larger volumes for discounts, accept run-of-schedule flexibility, and negotiate make-goods for potential preemptions. CTV and digital rates are generally fixed but self-serve platforms eliminate agency fees (10-20% savings) and may offer volume-based pricing.
Rate comparison by campaign type
Different campaign types should prioritize different channels based on these rate realities.
Best value for federal campaigns
Federal candidates should use LUR for broadcast savings while using CTV for precision:
Broadcast TV during LUR windows - 30-50% savings vs. standard rates
CTV for targeted reach - Fill geographic and demographic gaps
Cable news for engaged voters - Politically attentive audiences
Digital video for frequency - Reinforce TV at lower CPMs
Best value for state campaigns
State races balance reach needs with budget constraints:
CTV as primary channel - Best reach-to-targeting ratio
Broadcast in small/mid markets - Affordable for statewide reach
Cable zones for targeted areas - Geographic focus without waste
Digital for voter mobilization - Drive turnout in final weeks
Best value for local campaigns
Local races should prioritize precision over reach:
CTV via self-serve platforms - From $30/day, no waste
Social media - Hyper-local targeting, low entry cost
Radio for frequency - Low-cost message reinforcement
Skip broadcast TV - Too much waste for most local races
The key insight: smaller campaigns should prioritize CPM efficiency and targeting precision over raw reach. A $5,000 CTV campaign reaching 200,000 targeted impressions beats a $5,000 broadcast buy reaching 500,000 impressions where 80% are outside your district.
Start planning your 2026 campaign
Understanding rates is the first step. The next step is getting your ads in front of the right voters at the right price.
For most 2026 campaigns, CTV offers the best combination of reach, targeting, and value. The rates are consistent ($20-35 CPM), minimums are low or nonexistent, and you reach voters where they're watching - streaming services.
Whether you're running for Senate or school board, the math works: targeted impressions at $25 CPM beat broadcast waste at any price. Platforms like Adwave make CTV advertising for political campaigns accessible to campaigns of all sizes.
