Have a question, comment, idea or suggestion? Send us a text.

Connected TV spending is growing — but the real question in 2026 isn't whether campaigns should be buying CTV. It's who should be managing the buy.
Eric Wilson sits down with Chauncey Southworth, CEO of CrossScreen Media, to untangle the debate between TV buyers and digital buyers over who owns the streaming buy. Chauncey breaks down where the CTV growth is actually coming from (hint: down-ballot races are surging), why siloed buying is costing campaigns real money, and what questions every campaign should be asking their vendors right now.

They also dig into a striking stat from CrossScreen founder Michael Beach: linear TV viewers see over 13 minutes of ads per hour, while streaming viewers see fewer than 4. What does that mean for your creative strategy? And how should campaigns be thinking about the light viewers who are hardest to reach on any screen?

From supply path optimization to message testing to GOTV strategy for low-propensity voters, this is a conversation that will sharpen how you think about every dollar in your video budget.

Visit our website: CampaignTrend.com

Have a question, comment, idea or suggestion? Send us a text.

The 2026 midterms present a fundamentally different electoral landscape for Republicans. In this episode, pollster David Kanevsky breaks down exclusive post-election survey data from Virginia and New Jersey that reveals how campaigns are now dealing with two distinct electorates: highly engaged partisans who consume news across every platform, and politically disengaged voters who stream without ads and intentionally avoid political content.

The conversation reveals a media landscape where more voters now get their TV content through streaming than traditional broadcast or cable, where news has been "unbundled" from weather and sports, and where platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn now reach more voters than X/Twitter. With nearly half of votes being cast before Election Day and the most persuadable voters being the least engaged with traditional political media, campaigns must fundamentally rethink their approach.

Visit our website: CampaignTrend.com

Have a question, comment, idea or suggestion? Send us a text.

Host Eric Wilson sits down with John Link, Senior Vice President of Data at Ad Impact, to unpack the eye-popping numbers behind the 2025-2026 political cycle—projected to become the most expensive midterm in U.S. history at $10.8 billion. Link reveals that three to four Senate races alone could hit the unprecedented $500 million mark, with Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, and potentially Texas leading the way.

The conversation explores why House races are seeing the largest spending increases despite fewer competitive districts, how connected TV is capturing growing market share as the only expanding media category, and why early money is flooding the system faster than ever before. Link also discusses the real-world impact of mid-decade redistricting in states like California and Texas, the messaging challenges in saturated battleground markets, and why campaigns must navigate an increasingly fragmented media landscape that now includes streaming, digital, podcasting, and social platforms. For political professionals looking to understand where the industry is headed, this episode offers essential insights into the spending dynamics shaping the 2026 cycle.

Visit our website: CampaignTrend.com