CTV Overtakes Cable in Midterm Political Ad Spend
Connected TV has overtaken cable in U.S. midterm political advertising for the first time, marking a major shift in how political campaigns allocate media budgets. Political advertisers had spent or booked $11.4 billion in the 2026 midterm cycle as of November 2, up 28% from the 2022 midterms, according to AdImpact data shared with Adweek.adweek
CTV spending reached $2.4 billion, a 122% increase from roughly $1.1 billion in the 2022 midterm cycle. Cable spending, by contrast, fell 26% to less than $1.3 billion.adweek
A record-setting cycle
The 2026 midterm cycle has already attracted more political advertising investment than any election cycle tracked by AdImpact, including the 2024 U.S. presidential cycle, which previously held the record at $11.2 billion.adweek
Of the $2.5 billion increase in political ad spending compared with the 2022 midterms, 53% went to connected TV. That means CTV absorbed more than half of the incremental investment in the cycle.adweek
CTV’s growing share
CTV now accounts for 21% of total political ad spending, up from 12% in the 2022 midterm cycle. In 2022, cable outspent CTV by roughly 1.6 to 1; in 2026, CTV spending is close to double cable spending.kentertechhub
Metric | 2022 midterms | 2026 midterms | Change |
Total political ad spend | — | $11.4 billion | Up 28% adweek |
CTV ad spend | About $1.1 billion | $2.4 billion | Up 122% adweek |
Cable ad spend | — | Less than $1.3 billion | Down 26% adweek |
CTV share of total spend | 12% | 21% | Up 9 percentage points kentertechhub |
Why campaigns are shifting
The shift reflects the changing way voters watch television. Connected TV combines the reach and sight, sound, and motion of television with digital targeting, measurement, and flexibility. For political campaigns, that makes CTV increasingly attractive for reaching specific audiences without relying solely on traditional cable inventory.
The growth in CTV is not simply a matter of campaigns spending more overall. It represents a reallocation: CTV gained more than half of the new spending in the cycle, while cable spending declined.adweek
What it means for marketers
Although the figures are specific to political advertising, the trend has implications for brand marketers as well. CTV is becoming a primary video channel rather than a supplementary one, particularly for advertisers seeking precise audience targeting and measurable performance.
For brands, the development reinforces the need to plan CTV as part of an integrated video strategy alongside broadcast, social video, retail media, and performance channels. The political advertising market is often an early indicator of where premium video budgets and media-buying practices are heading.adweek+1
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