A Weekly Inventory Intelligence Report
The political ad market keeps heating up, with fresh dollars from campaigns and outside groups flowing into this cycle’s top battlegrounds ahead of November. This week, North Carolina and New Hampshire stand out as two markets already feeling the pressure.
North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race has more than $100 million in advertising reserved through Election Day, while New Hampshire’s race, freshly set after last week’s primary, has rocketed up the list of seats most likely to flip.
This Week’s Inventory Snapshot
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North Carolina: Senate spending is building quickly
As of early September, approximately $104.5 million in advertising was reserved through Election Day: $53.2 million on the Republican side and $51.4 million by Democrats, second only to Ohio among Senate races this cycle.
In September, the Trump-aligned No Going Back PAC expanded its North Carolina reservation from an initial $1.9 million to about $5 million, targeting the race between Michael Whatley and Roy Cooper.
AdImpact has also identified North Carolina as one of the highest-spend competitive markets for political CTV in 2026, as buyers compete for local streaming inventory.
New Hampshire: A late-breaking race is already lighting up the airwaves
New Hampshire’s Senate race took shape after the September 8 primary set up John Sununu against Chris Pappas, and CNN’s September 14 rankings now list it among the seats most likely to flip. Money is following fast: as of September 13, TV ad spending totaled roughly $27 million on the Republican side and $15.9 million on the Democratic side, a combined $42.9 million already on the air.
Outside groups moved early, too. Senate Majority PAC placed an initial $10.2 million fall reservation backing Pappas in May, and the same No Going Back PAC active in North Carolina put down $9.6 million on September 8 across six battleground states, including New Hampshire.
What This Means for Premium CTV
North Carolina and New Hampshire show how fast political demand is building: one a long-simmering contest nearing $105 million reserved, the other a race that turned top-tier in weeks. Nationally, CTV is projected to account for approximately $2.7 billion in political spending this cycle, 23% of the projected total, according to AdImpact.
With major dollars already committed or rapidly building in both markets, launching earlier can mean better access to premium CTV inventory before demand climbs further.
Planning a September or October campaign? Talk to TargetSmart about the premium inventory available now.
Stay tuned for more.
A Weekly Inventory Intelligence Report
The political ad market keeps heating up, with fresh dollars from campaigns and outside groups flowing into this cycle’s top battlegrounds ahead of November. This week, North Carolina and New Hampshire stand out as two markets already feeling the pressure.
North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race has more than $100 million in advertising reserved through Election Day, while New Hampshire’s race, freshly set after last week’s primary, has rocketed up the list of seats most likely to flip.
This Week’s Inventory Snapshot
|
|
North Carolina: Senate spending is building quickly
As of early September, approximately $104.5 million in advertising was reserved through Election Day: $53.2 million on the Republican side and $51.4 million by Democrats, second only to Ohio among Senate races this cycle.
In September, the Trump-aligned No Going Back PAC expanded its North Carolina reservation from an initial $1.9 million to about $5 million, targeting the race between Michael Whatley and Roy Cooper.
AdImpact has also identified North Carolina as one of the highest-spend competitive markets for political CTV in 2026, as buyers compete for local streaming inventory.
New Hampshire: A late-breaking race is already lighting up the airwaves
New Hampshire’s Senate race took shape after the September 8 primary set up John Sununu against Chris Pappas, and CNN’s September 14 rankings now list it among the seats most likely to flip. Money is following fast: as of September 13, TV ad spending totaled roughly $27 million on the Republican side and $15.9 million on the Democratic side, a combined $42.9 million already on the air.
Outside groups moved early, too. Senate Majority PAC placed an initial $10.2 million fall reservation backing Pappas in May, and the same No Going Back PAC active in North Carolina put down $9.6 million on September 8 across six battleground states, including New Hampshire.
What This Means for Premium CTV
North Carolina and New Hampshire show how fast political demand is building: one a long-simmering contest nearing $105 million reserved, the other a race that turned top-tier in weeks. Nationally, CTV is projected to account for approximately $2.7 billion in political spending this cycle, 23% of the projected total, according to AdImpact.
With major dollars already committed or rapidly building in both markets, launching earlier can mean better access to premium CTV inventory before demand climbs further.
Planning a September or October campaign? Talk to TargetSmart about the premium inventory available now.
Stay tuned for more.
