In the world of media sales, timing is everything—especially when it comes to political advertising. With the 2026 midterms set to be a landmark year, local media sellers have a rare, high-value opportunity in front of them. The key? Acting early, armed with the right intelligence.
Political ad spend is set to surge. In more than 35 DMAs, campaigns are projected to invest $50M+ each into advertising. That’s not spread across thousands of buyers—it’s concentrated among a relatively small universe of campaigns and PACs. The sellers who know where that money is going before the ad spots run will be the ones closing the biggest deals.
For media owners—TV, radio, out-of-home, newspapers, and local digital—the 2026 cycle isn’t just about catching a wave. It’s about getting ahead of it.
Traditional competitive intelligence tells you what’s already aired. By then, most of the money is gone. Political intelligence from MediaRadar flips the script—it’s forward-looking. We track when buys are placed, often months in advance, so sellers can:
During hot cycles, spot TV inventory prices can skyrocket. For non-TV media owners, this creates opportunities to offer cost-effective alternatives. For TV sellers, it’s a chance to command premium rates.
While campaigns are required to disclose spending in FCC public files, relying on that data is slow, incomplete, and labor-intensive. Many sellers assign interns to comb through filings, only to find they’ve missed early buys or critical revisions. MediaRadar’s political intelligence bypasses these pain points, delivering:
In other words, sellers spend less time hunting for leads and more time closing them.
Politics is local—and unpredictable. In 2025, the New York City mayoral race was expected to be a walkover for Andrew Cuomo, with minimal competition. But a surprise upset in the Democratic primary turned it into a four-way race. The ripple effect? New Jersey gubernatorial PACs locked in, booking $11M in New York City ad space within days to secure inventory before prices skyrocketed.
Those who knew about these buys early could lock in premium deals. Those who didn’t were left scrambling.
Any local media owner in a politically active market can gain from early access to political spend data:
By the time you see the ads, the money is gone. In 2025—an off-cycle year—two-thirds of projected political ad spend was already booked by mid-year. For 2026, expect the pace to be even faster.
Political advertising intelligence isn’t just another sales tool—it’s your edge in a fiercely competitive market. Get the data early. Identify the buyers. Set your prices accordingly. And make 2026 your best year yet.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Steve Davis
Stephen Davis, Head of Alliances at MediaRadar, is a media and marketing research executive with an accomplished track record of transforming media businesses from traditional and siloed to digital and integrated.