Cleveland Tops Local TV Political Ad Spending

Total local, national and network TV spot through Sept. 2 pushes $1 billion

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/12/2012 9:18:29 PM

The Cleveland-Akron market now ranks number one. No, Nielsen has not refigured its DMA's (Cleveland-Akron is still 18). But according to Television Bureau of Advertising and BIA data compiled by Wells Fargo Securities, it is the top market in political ad dollars spent year-to-date through Sept. 2 at $37,250,280.

Number two is Washington, D.C. at $35,504,710, followed by Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, Fla., at $31,233,120.

Rounding out the top five are Las Vegas at $30,665,420, and Orlando-Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Fla., at $24,854,410.

According to Wells Fargo, total local TV political ad spending year to date through Sept. 2 is $852.6 million. Add in network and national spot, and the total is just south of $1 billion at $998.4 million.

Presidential spending is the greatest percentage of that total, at 45.4% of year-to-date political ad spending. Congressional was at 33.8%.

Fox gets the nod as the outlet with the greatest exposure to all those political ad dollars at 10.2% based on its total market share (station revenue as a percentage of total market revenue). CBS is second at 8.4%.