Political TV Ads per Year 12-8-25

There isn't a single yearly count, but political TV ad volume varies greatly by election year, with major cycles seeing millions of ads, like over 9 million total in 2019-2020 (broadcast/cable) and 2.35 million presidential-only on broadcast in that same cycle, with midterms and presidential years spiking significantly. The numbers fluctuate, with presidential years seeing higher volumes than midterms or off-years, reaching multiple millions across federal and state races in peak periods.  

Key Examples:

2019-2020 Cycle: Over 9 million broadcast & cable ads; 2.35 million presidential ads on broadcast.

2022 Midterms: Over 2 million broadcast ads in federal & gubernatorial races by August.

2015-2016 Cycle: 1.03 million presidential ads on broadcast (less than half of 2020). 

Factors Influencing Volume:

Election Type: Presidential years (like 2020) have higher ad volume than midterms (like 2022).

Market Focus: Key swing states and Senate races see massive concentrations of ads (e.g., Arizona, Nevada in 2022).

Spending: Billions are spent, with higher spending translating to more airings, reaching peak numbers in the final months before elections. 

In short, expect millions of political TV ads during major election cycles, with figures often topping 2-3 million just for presidential races on broadcast TV, and even more when including cable and mid-term/state races. 

The number of political TV ads aired in the U.S. varies significantly depending on whether it is a presidential election year, a midterm election year, or an off-year, generally reaching several million ads per election cycle. 

Here are approximate figures for recent election cycles:

2019–2020 (Presidential Election Cycle): There were over 9 million broadcast and cable TV ads aired across the U.S. for all races, costing over $7 billion. The presidential race alone accounted for about 2.35 million ad airings on broadcast television during this period.

2021–2022 (Midterm Election Cycle): Approximately 4.3 million TV ads aired in federal and gubernatorial races as of early November 2022.

2023–2024 (Presidential Election Cycle): As of late October 2024, there were about 3.9 million ad airings across presidential, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House races combined, with total spending projected to exceed $10 billion for the entire cycle.

2015–2016 (Presidential Election Cycle): About 4.29 million ads aired on broadcast television for all races, with approximately 1 million specifically for the presidential campaign. 

While digital advertising is growing, local broadcast television remains the top destination for political ad spending and volume. The vast majority of these ads are aired in the final weeks leading up to an election, and a significant portion target down-ballot races (e.g., House, Senate, Governor) rather than just the presidential race. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+political+tv+ads+are+there+in+the+us+each+year

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader