• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, January 9, 2017

According to new research from Borrell Associates, "The Final Analysis: Political Advertising in 2016,”a record $9.8 billion was spent on national, state and local campaigns. The Executive Summary shows that TV got the largest share, digital media got more than expected (mostly due to social media), and 2017 is forecast to see $5.8 billion spent on political ads, says the Summary.

It was a record year for political advertising, says the report, up 4.6% from the 2012 presidential election. Combining local, state, and nationwide election spending, 2016 elections spent $9.8 billion on advertising media, but broadcast TV lost ground, from a 57.9% share of all political advertising in 2012, to a 44.7% share in 2016. Digital media spending, though, increased nearly eightfold, going from a 1.7% share in 2012 to a 14.4% share in 2016.

To access the complete 14-page report, The Final Analysis: Political Advertising in 2016 (and projections), please visit here.