Presidential Ad Spending in Michigan

 Data from

                                
     
Spending on Presidential Advertising in Michigan, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020      
Total $152.0 million 

Summary: $152.0 million put Michigan at fourth in total spending on presidential advertising in this six-month period behind FL, PA and NC.  The disparity in ad spending between Biden and allies and Trump and allies was among the largest of any of the battleground states; the Democratic side outspent the Republican side in Michigan by $77.6 million or slightly more than 3 to 1.  The Trump campaign ran no broadcast advertising in the state for about seven weeks starting in mid-July,  prompting observers to suggest that it was "slipping" from Trump; the campaign finally returned to the airwaves in the second week of September.  The difference in ad spending by outside groups was particularly striking; Biden allies, led by Future Forward ($21.2 million) and Priorities USA Action ($15.1 million), outspent Trump allies by almost 6 to 1.  To put total spending in context, dividing the $152.0 million total by 16 electoral votes gives a figure of $9.50 million per electoral vote; Biden and allies spent $7.17 million and Trump and allies $2.32 million per electoral vote.  Dividing by 5,539,302 votes tallied in the presidential race in Michigan gives a figure of $27.45 per vote; Biden and allies spent $40.91 per Biden vote and Trump and allies spent $13.99 per Trump vote. 

These data cover spending on advertising on electronic media (broadcast, cable, radio, digital and satellite) but do not include other types of paid media such as billboards, print advertising and persuasion mail.
Data on this page do not show "independent" ads which account for a tiny amount of spending (less than 0.1%).  "Independent" ads includes ads from third party presidential candidates and other small mostly digital buys from various groups.
Also note that groups such as The Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump, although organized by Republicans and thus nominally Republican, are included under Democrat (Biden/Allies) spending since their purpose was to attack Trump.
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Presidential Ad Spending by Month, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020

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Presidential Ad Spending by Advertiser Type, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020

 Biden and Allies
 Trump and Allies
Candidate
 		$49,982,148
 $19,929,318
Coordinated
 		$4,240,303
 $7,084,975
Interest Group
 $60,488,853
 $10,057,050
Total
 		$114,711,304
 		$37,071,343


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Top Presidential Ad Spending Groups, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
Supporting Biden  $60.5m

Supporting Trump  $10.1m
Future Forward  $21,295,746
Restoration PAC
 		$4,553,906
Priorities USA Action
 		$15,118,744
RNC
 		$2,324,281
American Bridge 21st Century
 $5,468,917
America First Action
 $1,873,973
DNC
 		$5,425,214


Unite the Country
 		$2,108,318


BlackPAC
 		$1,594,592


The Lincoln Project
 $1,163,544


Women Vote!
 $1,002,677



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Presidential Ad Spending by Media Type, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
Biden/Allies $114,711,304

Candidate
 Coordinated
 Interest Group
Broadcast
 		$29,770,509
 $751,745
 $41,383,066
Cable
 		$10,345,893
 $190,720
 $8,780,219
Radio
 		$4,211,640
 -
 $3,448,664
Digital
 		$4,329,535
 $3,297,838
 $6,572,498
Satellite
 		$1,324,571
 -
 $304,406
Total
 $49,982,148
 $4,240,303
 $60,488,853



Trump/Allies $37,071,343

Candidate
 		Coordinated
 		Interest Group
Broadcast
 		$14,759,569
 $3,909,753
 $7,609,241
Cable
 		$863,229
 -
 $1,148,541
Radio
 		$287,684
 -
 $517,815
Digital
 		$3,781,871
 $3,175,222
 $599,977
Satellite
 		$235,964
 -
 $181,476
Total
 $19,928,318
 $7,084,975
 $10,057,050


Of $152.0 million presidential ad spending in Michigan, $98.2 million (64.6%) was on broadcast, $21.3 million (14.0%) on cable, $21.7 million (14.3%) on digital, $8.5 million (5.6%) on radio and $2.0 million (1.3%) on satellite. 

Comparing ad spending by just the two campaigns...
Biden: Broadcast (59.6%), cable (20.6%), radio (8.4%), digital (8.7%), satellite (2.7%).
Trump: Broadcast (74.1%), cable (4.3%), radio (1.4%), digital (19.0%), satellite (1.2%).

As noted above, these data do not include other types of paid media such as billboards, print advertising and persuasion mail.

See:
Clara Hendrickson.  "Michigan physicians ask TV stations to pull Trump ad, calling it a danger."  Detroit Free Press, Oct. 12, 2020.

Chris D'Angelo.  "Joe Biden Airs Climate-Themed TV Ad in Battleground Michigan."  HuffPost, Oct. 7, 2020.

Malachi Barrett.  "Biden campaign turns Traverse City visit into campaign ad for Northern Michigan voters."  mlive.com, Oct. 6, 2020.

Zoya Teirstein.  "Joe Biden's new climate ad addresses the plight of American farmers."  Grist, Oct. 6, 2020.

Tal Axelrod.  "Trump campaign returns to airwaves in Michigan."  The Hill, Sept. 10, 2020.

Grant Hermes.  "Biden campaign to microtarget Michigan women in new ad."  clickondetroit.com, Sept. 3, 2020.

Malachi Barrett.  "Trump campaign temporarily halts TV advertising in Michigan but plans to spend $11 million before election."  mlive.com, July 31, 2020.

David Catanese.  "'The numbers are dismal': Trump campaign, super PAC pause ads in Michigan."  McClatchy, July 29, 2020.

Shane Goldmacher and Kathleen Gray.  "Michigan Threatens to Slip From Trump as He Goes Quiet on Airwaves."  New York Times, July 29, 2020.

 See also:
Carolyn Muyskens.  "Michigan billboard campaign contrasts Trump's words against Jesus'."  Detroit Free Press, Oct. 13, 20020.

Newspaper ads from the Michigan Chronicle:
Oct. 14, 21 and 28
 Oct. 28

Justine Coleman.  "Jeff Daniels narrates new Biden campaign ad for Michigan."  The Hill, Oct. 27, 2020.
[ed. this was not a paid ad, but video by Don Winslow Films...another one for Pennsylvania featured Bruce Springsteen]