NFL May Have To Change Draft Dates Roc Nation Adds NFL Player Agent Miale Bobcats To Announce Hornets Re-Brand Sources: Colangelo To Remain With MLSE MLS Inks Deal With Microsoft Trail Blazers Get NBA Promo Award Classified Advertisements Ken Venturi Dead At 82 Preakness Stakes Brand Evolving Overnight Nielsen Ratings
Sections
SBD/Issue 36/Law & Politics
Print All-
Republicans Using Sports Programming To Reach Potential Voters
Political spending on TV advertising is "set to hit $3 billion for this year's Congressional elections," and Republican ad buyers "favor sports programming," according to Ashley Parker of the N.Y. TIMES. Republicans have "bought nearly three times as many ads as Democrats on 'Saturday Night College Football,' more than twice as many on 'Sunday Night NFL Football' and NASCAR racing," and almost twice as many during MLB games. Nielsen Co. data indicated that the sports shows most favored by Republican buyers "have an audience that is nearly two-thirds or higher male." Midwest Media Research Foundation Research Dir Ken Goldstein said, "College sports is probably the cleanest buy for Republicans, or the buy where they’re getting the biggest advantage. Republicans think their base is more likely to be watching sports, and if they’re looking for younger males, or younger white males, it’s college football." Parker noted Democrats "tended to focus on talk shows." National Media Inc. Senior VP Will Feltus, whose company is a media buyer for Republicans, said, "Republicans are trying to reach Republican men and Republican-leaning men with sports. Democrats are advertising more to women." Below is a chart showing sports shows that skew toward Republican ads (N.Y. TIMES, 10/31).
SPORTS SHOWS THAT SKEW TOWARD REPUBLICAN ADSSHOWPOLITICAL ADS% DEM.% REP.FEMALE VIEWERSSaturday Night College Football21426%74%32%NBC "Sunday Night Football"50631%69%31%NFL Sunday Kickoff7531%69%34%NASCAR racing 16331%69%36%MLB 15534%66%34%AFC Football Post Gun 9337%63%n/a




