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« Presidential Ad Spending in Pennsylvania
Presidential Ad Spending in Pennsylvania
Data from
Spending on Presidential Advertising in Pennsylvania, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
Total $268.4 million
Summary:
$268.4 million put Pennsylvania at the second of
all the states in total spending on presidential
advertising over the six-month period. Biden and
allies outspent Trump and allies in the Keystone State
by $86.0 million (94.4% more). The Biden campaign
by itself spent $85.8 million on advertising to $30.0
million by the Trump campaign (2.86 times more).
Ad spending by outside groups was more evenly balanced,
$85.1 million supporting Biden compared to $55.0 million
supporting Trump. Eight groups spent more than $1
million on advertising supporting Biden, led by Future
Forward ($28.1 million), American Bridge 21st Century
($22.4 million) and Priorities USA Action ($11.2
million). By contrast five groups weighed in with
more than $1 million for ads supporting Trump, led by
America First Action ($33.7 million) and Preserve
America PAC ($9.5 million).
Spending
in the last month totaled about $130 million.
To put total spending in context, dividing $268.4
million total ad spending by 20 electoral votes gives a
figure of $13.42 million per electoral vote; Biden and allies spent $8.85 million
and Trump and allies $4.55 million per
electoral vote. Dividing
by 6,915,283 votes tallied in the presidential race
gives $38.81 per vote; Biden and allies
spent $51.17 per Biden vote and Trump and
allies spent $26.96 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.
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.
_________________________
Presidential
Ad Spending by Month, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
_________________________
Presidential
Ad Spending by Advertiser Type, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
| Biden
and Allies |
Trump
and Allies |
|
| Candidate |
$85,779,103 |
$29,975,893 |
| Coordinated |
$6,165,911 |
$6,056,044 |
| Interest Group |
$85,127,120 |
$55,032,808 |
| Total |
$177,072,134 |
$91,064,745 |
_________________________
Top Presidential Ad Spending
Groups, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
| Supporting Biden $85.1m | Supporting
Trump $55.0m |
|||
| Future Forward |
$28,100,279 |
America First
Action |
$33,714,725 |
|
| American Bridge
21st Century |
$22,360,137 |
Preserve America
PAC |
$9,481,018 |
|
| Priorities USA
Action |
$11,247,482 |
Restoration PAC |
$4,793,139 |
|
| DNC |
$5,521,474 |
Club for Growth
Action |
$2,928,646 |
|
| Unite the Country |
$5,294,185 |
NRA Victory Fund |
$2,483,626 |
|
| The Lincoln Project |
$2,499,298 |
|||
| Defending Democracy
Together |
$1,316,543 |
|||
| Tech for Campaigns |
$1,042,478 |
_________________________
Presidential Ad
Spending by Media Type, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
Looking
at spending on broadcast TV by the just the
presidential campaigns (not including allied
groups) the pattern is fairly similar for the two
campaign. About 40 percent went into the
Philadelphia market and 20 percent to the Pittsburgh
market, a bit more for Biden for President and a bit
less for Donald J. Trump for President. Trump
spent a greater share of his broadcast dollar on the
Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York and Johnstown-Altoona
markets than did Biden whereas Biden put a greater share
into the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton marke that did Trump.
Of $268.4 million presidential ad spending in Pennsylvania, $186.9 million (69.6%) was on broadcast, $40.5 million (15.1%) on cable, $28.9 million (10.8%) on digital, $9.7 million (3.6%) on radio and $2.2 million (0.83%) on satellite.
Comparing ad spending by just the two campaigns...
Biden: Broadcast (66.4%), cable (20.2%), radio (4.7%), digital (7.2%), satellite (1.5%).
Trump: Broadcast (76.3%), cable (8.3%), radio (0.73%), digital (14.2%), satellite (0.66%).
As noted above, these data do not include other types of paid media such as billboards, print advertising and persuasion mail.
| |
Biden/Allies | $177,072,134 |
| Candidate |
Coordinated |
Interest
Group |
|
| Broadcast |
$56,938,937 |
$1,669,785 |
$60,262,112 |
| Cable |
$17,342,229 |
$425,846 |
$11,422,766 |
| Radio |
$4,012,956 |
- |
$4,460,263 |
| Digital |
$6,187,930 |
$4,070,280 |
$8,568,543 |
| Satellite |
$1,297,051 |
- |
$393,436 |
| Total |
$85,779,103 |
$6,165,911 |
$85,127,120 |
| |
Trump/Allies | $91,064,745 |
| Candidate |
Coordinated |
Interest Group | |
| Broadcast |
$22,883,529 |
$1,803,540 |
$43,355,245 |
| Cable |
$2,473,986 |
- |
$8,805,855 |
| Radio |
$218,403 |
- |
$989,108 |
| Digital |
$4,250,742 |
$4,252,504 |
$1,557,874 |
| Satellite |
$199,233 |
- |
$324,726 |
| Total |
$29,975,893 |
$6,056,044 |
$55,032,808 |
_________________________
Spending on Broadcast
by Presidential Committees by Media
Market, May 1-Nov. 3, 2020
| Biden for Pres. |
Trump for Pres. |
|||
| Philadelphia |
$23,625,790 |
41.49% |
$9,240,654 |
40.47% |
| Pittsburgh |
$11,666,872 |
20.49% |
$4,456,232 | 19.52% |
| Harrisburg-Lancaster- Lebanon-York |
$10,175,574 |
17.87% |
$4,642,732 |
20.33% |
| Johnstown-Altoona |
$4,852,625 |
8.52% |
$2,229,595 |
9.76% |
| Wilkes
Barre-Scranton |
$4,308,505 |
7.57% |
$1,414,635 |
6.20% |
| Erie |
$2,306,510 |
4.05% |
$849,681 |
3.72% |
| Wheeling,
WV- Steubenville, OH |
$3,060 |
|||
| $56,938,937 |
100% |
$22,833,529 |
100% |
_________________________
Of $268.4 million presidential ad spending in Pennsylvania, $186.9 million (69.6%) was on broadcast, $40.5 million (15.1%) on cable, $28.9 million (10.8%) on digital, $9.7 million (3.6%) on radio and $2.2 million (0.83%) on satellite.
Comparing ad spending by just the two campaigns...
Biden: Broadcast (66.4%), cable (20.2%), radio (4.7%), digital (7.2%), satellite (1.5%).
Trump: Broadcast (76.3%), cable (8.3%), radio (0.73%), digital (14.2%), satellite (0.66%).
As noted above, these data do not include other types of paid media such as billboards, print advertising and persuasion mail.
See:
Laura Benshoff. "Trump dominated Facebook in 2016. In 2020, Biden is outspending him in PA." WHYY, Oct. 27, 2020.
Lauren Rosenblatt. "Presidential campaigns' ads swamp TV, radio, digital sphere in battleground Pa." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Oct. 26, 2020.
Marc Levy. "Trump intensifies fracking assault on Biden in Pennsylvania." AP, Oct. 25, 2020.
Gillian McGoldrick "Ephrata Army veteran featured in national Biden commercial." LancasterOnline, Oct. 22, 2020.
Connor Lagore. "Biden-Harris ads deluge Pa. TV market as mud-slinging spots dominate airwaves." lehighvalleylive.com, Oct. 19, 2020.
John Micek. "In new ad featuring a New Castle family, Biden makes pitch to Pa.'s Trump Country voters." Pittsburgh City Paper, Sept. 17, 2020.
Andrew Seidman. "Biden outspent Trump $10 million to zero on TV in Pennsylvania last month." Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 8, 2020.
See also:
Ron Southwick. "Republican Voters Against Trump ramps up ads in Pa. with billboards, TV spots." Patriot-News, Sept. 11, 2020.
Newspaper ad
Three-quarter page
New Pittsburgh Courier
Oct. 28, 2020
Copyright © 2021 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
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