The E.W. Scripps Co. said it expects total political advertising in 2018 to be up more than 50% from the previous mid-term election cycle in 2014.
In 2014, Scripps collected $75 million in political advertising revenue. In 2016, a presidential year, political advertising topped $101 million.
Scripps has a lot of exposure to political spending because many of its stations are in markets in battleground states where contested elections are taking place.
There are 16 governor’s races, 12 U.S. Senate races and about 100 congressional races in Scripps markets, including those in Arizona, Indiana, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Tennessee.
“Scripps is seizing the advantage of our footprint with this year’s competitive midterm elections,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Local Media for Scripps. “While our local broadcasts are delivering political news and analysis to help our viewers make informed decisions, our advertising solutions are an important channel for political campaigns to reach potential voters with their messaging.
He added that Scripps' “dedicated team of political sales consultants on the ground in Washington, D.C., has helped boost the work of our local TV market sales teams, allowing us to realize additional revenue in this active political year.”
Scripps said its stations have also boosted their political coverage, including a weekly political news show The Race.
