In just a few years, CTV has cut into linear TV’s share of campaign budgets and changed expectations of how to reach voters.
With most TV content now consumed via streaming,1 and connected TV (CTV) gaining larger audiences, it’s more important than ever for political strategists to plan multiscreen campaigns.
Close to 120 million U.S. households have a connected TV,2 defined as a television that delivers video content over the internet instead of through traditional cable or satellite. As rapidly as CTV adoption has grown, it has just as rapidly become an essential part of political advertising.
While it has taken a share of linear TV’s political ad dollars, it hasn’t reduced the power or impact of linear TV’s reach and effectiveness. Comcast Advertising research from the 2024 midterm election season shows that linear TV still delivers the majority of campaign reach, underscoring that while streaming grows in importance, it doesn’t replace traditional TV for political ads.
How political advertising works on TV and streaming
For political advertising, linear TV and streaming TV differ in how ads are bought, delivered, and created.
On traditional TV, campaigns can purchase ad time during specific programs or time slots, or they can choose to distribute ads based on where and when their target audiences are viewing. So, some political ads are designed for mass appeal, while others are intended to speak to discrete audience segments. Either way, ad creative must be finalized and approved in advance of airing.
Compared to linear TV, political advertising on CTV and streaming can be more flexible. On connected TV, campaigns are generally distributed addressably, meaning they are delivered to in-audience households based on data insights such as geography or demographics.
With CTV, advertisers can adjust targeting, creative, and delivery relatively quickly based on real-time data. This means that CTV can offer political advertisers more opportunities to tailor different ad creatives to speak to different audiences.
Depending on the exact delivery method, however, both traditional TV and CTV offer opportunities to target households based on traits like political leanings or voting propensity.
Best platforms for political TV advertising
As noted in the introduction, CTV for political advertising works best in conjunction with linear TV advertising. But what about the other types of TV platforms?
Choosing the right mix for political advertising depends on campaign goals, audiences, and budget. Post-election insights from Comcast Advertising show that high-performing campaigns focus on: 3
- Quality inventory (trusted content environments)
- Scale (ability to reach enough voters)
- Targeting precision (reaching the right households)
In general, the most effective political campaigns adjust their platform mix over time—using broadcast and cable TV for early reach, then layering in CTV and digital to target persuadable and early voters with more precise, timely messaging.
Political advertising providers like Comcast Advertising help political campaigns combine these elements—delivering both reach and targeting within professionally produced content.
Best TV advertising platforms by campaign goal
For mass awareness and broad reach
- Broadcast TV: Delivers large audience scale and strong credibility.
- Cable TV: Extends reach while enabling targeting.
For reaching specific audiences
- General targeting: Reaches audiences by geography, network, or content type.
- Addressable: Uses data to reach more precise household-level audiences across both cable and CTV based on trends, interests, and political traits.
For engaging streaming-first and cord-cutting voters
- Premium streaming: Reaches highly engaged audiences in high-quality environments.
- FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV): Connects with cost-conscious, streaming-only households.
For increasing frequency and reinforcing messaging
- CTV (premium + FAST): Builds additional exposure beyond linear TV.
- Multiscreen campaigns: Combine linear TV and streaming to maximize reach and optimize frequency.
Improving voter reach and engagement through CTV
CTV is not just about reaching voter audiences—it’s about holding their attention and driving action.
Research shows that CTV delivers significantly higher attention than advertising on mobile and desktop environments.4 Comcast Advertising research shows that multiscreen campaigns, including CTV, improve campaign performance by increasing reach, frequency, and engagement across audiences.5
Political advertisers can boost performance with CTV in the following ways:
Use interactive features
QR codes, overlays, and clickable end screens can turn a TV ad into immediate action, like donations or voter registration.
Match messaging to audience segments
Deliver different creatives to different voter groups based on location or issues.
Retarget across screens
Reinforce CTV exposure with follow-up ads on mobile or digital platforms.
Focus on incremental reach
Many persuadable voter audiences no longer watch traditional TV; CTV helps campaigns reach those audiences.
Keep creative simple and clear
Strong visuals and a clear message perform best on the big screen.
The most effective campaigns use CTV in tandem with linear TV, digital video ads, social media, and other political ad types [link to political ad type page] as part of a cross-screen strategy.
Measurement and optimization of political campaigns
One of CTV’s biggest advantages is the ability to measure and improve performance throughout a campaign.
Data and technology now allow campaigns to see measurements like audience reach and frequency, as well as whether the ads prompted actions like visiting a candidate’s website.
Political advertisers can use the following campaign measurement checklist when planning their campaign:
1. Set clear goals
Define what success looks like (awareness, donations, turnout).
2. Verify audience delivery
Ensure ads are reaching the intended geographies and audience segments.
3. Use secure data environments
Leverage tools like data clean rooms to safely match and analyze audience data.
4. Measure outcomes
Track engagement, conversions, and overall campaign impact.
5. Optimize continuously
Shift budget toward the best-performing channels and audiences.
Future trends in political advertising on CTV
CTV is expected to play an even larger role in political campaigns moving forward.
As more households adopt streaming and acquire CTVs, political ad spend will follow. The trend of AI-created advertising will begin to influence political ad creation, as will the use of AI in data analysis, ad tracking, and optimizing campaign performance in real time.
Political media strategists will continue to push the boundaries of CTV to maximize the potential impact on voters.
Looking ahead, campaigns should expect:
- More interactive ad formats
- Ads that allow viewers to take action directly from their TV screens
- Greater use of data-driven targeting, specifically AI-enhanced
- More precise audience segmentation
- Continued growth in streaming audiences
- More flexible and AI-assisted buying strategies
Campaigns that invest early in scalable, flexible CTV strategies will be better positioned to adapt as the media landscape continues to evolve.
Maximizing the potential of CTV political advertising
Connected TV has transformed political advertising by combining reach, precision, and measurement. For campaigns, it offers a powerful way to reach the right voter segments, improve efficiency, track performance, and make critical optimizations throughout the entire campaign.
Comcast Advertising helps political campaigns make the most of CTV. By combining premium TV inventory, advanced audience targeting, and real-time measurement in a multiscreen approach, political advertisers can make the most of every media dollar.
Ready to make an impact with political advertising on CTV? Contact us to start reaching your audience wherever — and however — they’re watching.
Sources:
1 Nielsen, “Need to Know: What is media fragmentation and how to reach today’s audiences?” July 2025.
2 Statista, “TV households in the United States from 2019 to 2027,” 2026.
3 Comcast, “Winning Strategies: Advertising Lessons from the 2024 Election Cycle,” 2025.
4 VAB, “You Oughta Know: Why All Impressions Aren’t Created Equal & What It Means for Video Measurement,” accessed March 22, 2026.
5 Comcast, “Winning Strategies: Advertising Lessons from the 2024 Election Cycle,” 2025.