Hi and welcome back!

Depending on your take, there is mixed reaction to the big news last week out of the courthouse in lower Manhattan. POLITICO has a bi-partisan mix of 22 political historians and analysts quick takes on consequences for 2024 - and beyond - as “the fallout of a first-ever conviction of a former (and possibly future) president” will continue to be debated for weeks to come. What’s not being debated is the Trump campaign’s continued aggressive fundraising off his legal battles, including a reported $53M raised in the 24 hours following the verdict last week which could help him close the cash deficit he is facing against President Biden.

A mere $1.5M will now buy the top tier ad package for the first presidential debate scheduled for June 27th on CNN. Though, the network has limited political spending by campaigns and PACs to before and after the debate, and not during the debate itself.

More below for what’s new, valuable and actionable in political media and CTV.

Media Planning Outlook: 

• Fall Ad Reservations Cross $750M: AdImpact reported last week  that $758M combined has been booked between September and November 2024 on ad reservations targeting contested Senate races ($431M reserved) - lead by Ohio ($155M), Montana ($104M) and Pennsylvania ($45M) - contested House races ($193M); and the Presidential race ($134M). With less than six months to go until the general election on November 5th, Democratic advertisers currently make up 77% of all fall ad reservations - a $412M spending advantage over Republicans.
  
  
• The June Calendar: Stay on top of your media planning for June with the full calendar of both presidential and non-presidential primaries, special elections and run-offs that will take us right through the first presidential debate on the 27th.

Great “Beach” Reading for CTV Ad Buyers & Sellers: After eight years and 360+ editions of the weekly “State of the Screens” newsletter, Michael Beach, CEO of Cross Screen Media, has released his first book, Screen Wars: Win the Battle for Attention with Convergent TV. Screen Wars is the first-ever guide to survive and thrive through the complexities of convergent TV, and delves into the nuances of video advertising in an era where traditional boundaries have blurred. With over a decade of expertise in TV and video advertising, Michael's unique perspective is rich with actionable strategies to navigate and capitalize on the opportunities within the convergent TV landscape. The book is meant to help you “skate to where the puck is going to be” by covering three fundamental topics: 1) How we watch TV; 2) Winning the battle for attention with convergent TV; and 3) How TV advertising will work in the future.

Reimagining Media Buying in Key Battlegrounds: It used to be Iowa and New Hampshire were good predictors of the general election. Not so anymore. In fact, a recent study shows that five out of seven battleground states—North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—more closely reflect the national demographic and socioeconomic average.

You might be thinking this is great news, making it easy to buy DMAs to reach voters. But Connected TV can do one better, with precise digital targeting capabilities, campaigns can directly engage with voters at the zip code level, giving you an edge when every vote counts. Get insights by political affiliation and region in our latest report, "The Big Shift: Political Edition,” to see how CTV can boost your reach and results.

AI and the FCC: The FCC is proposing new rules to ensure transparency in political ads by requiring disclosure when AI-generated content is used in broadcast TV and radio ads. Interestingly, these regulations won't extend to digital and streaming platforms, where political advertising is rapidly growing. This gap highlights the challenges of keeping electoral processes transparent as advertising evolves beyond traditional media's reach.

FAST Gaining Traction, um FAST: CTV FAST apps are becoming more popular according to new research from TVision and DoubleVerify. The analysis found that the free streaming apps provided by TV manufacturers are the sixth most popular app by reach and continue to gain share of time spent. At the same time, attention to CTV ads is also increasing. FAST apps are seeming to be an all-around win for advertisers, as audiences are being lured in with free content and are staying as streaming services make strategic investments in their content libraries. LG alone is investing $756M in FAST content over the next couple of years.

If you missed our last issue of this this newsletter - you can check it out here.