The 2026 Political Advertising Dashboard gives clients and agency partners a market-level view of where political activity may tighten local TV inventory ahead of the U.S. midterms and future election cycles
PEARL RIVER, N.Y. — October 13, 2026 — AMS today announced the availability of its proprietary 2026 Political Advertising Dashboard, a predictive intelligence tool developed to help brands, agencies and media buyers anticipate where political advertising activity may put pressure on local television inventory and make more informed media planning decisions. Political spending forecasts can show where campaign dollars are flowing. For brands and agencies trying to protect their own media plans, however, spending is only part of the picture. AMS’s dashboard adds another layer of intelligence: where that activity may translate into local TV inventory pressure at the market level.
The dashboard uses historical political-TV activity, race competitiveness, advertiser activity and other market signals to estimate political inventory intensity by DMA during the four weeks leading up to the general election. It is designed as a predictive planning tool, not a guarantee of exact inventory availability, and is refreshed as source data changes.
“The value is not simply knowing where political money is being spent. It is understanding where that activity could become a real inventory consideration for a media plan,” said Tess Erickson, Senior Director, Strategy & Research at AMS. “Giving planners that visibility earlier creates more time to evaluate timing, markets and channels against the audience, objective and market conditions, rather than reacting once inventory is already tight.”
As of its latest refresh, the model identifies Des Moines-Ames, Atlanta, Cedar Rapids-Waterloo, Portland-Auburn, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Las Vegas, Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Reno and Raleigh-Durham among the highest-intensity DMAs projected for the final weeks of the 2026 midterm cycle. In Des Moines-Ames, political activity is projected to account for approximately 68% of local TV inventory during the final four weeks leading up to the general election.
Some of the dashboard’s most useful signals are outside markets brands may immediately associate with election pressure. Boston, for example, can experience spillover from political activity in New Hampshire because Boston television reaches voters across the state line. Several Ohio markets are also showing elevated intensity, while Houston is projected at 36%.
The model also illustrates why relying too heavily on the previous election cycle can miss current conditions. Compared with 2022, Houston moves from 24% to a projected 36% political inventory intensity, Dallas from 18% to 32%, and Detroit from 43% to 54%. Pittsburgh and Chicago move in the opposite direction.
For brands and agencies, identifying potential pressure is not an instruction to abandon a market. It is intelligence that creates more time to make a decision. Depending on the audience, campaign objective and market conditions, buyers may choose to adjust timing, evaluate alternative inventory, shift investment across channels or stay the course. The dashboard builds on broader political-market intelligence being developed across AMS.
Separately, Active International’s Local Media team has been tracking the 2026 political advertising marketplace, using third-party industry data to help clients understand shifts in political spending, competitive races and media investment. Its latest Political Outlook examines how those dynamics are changing as the election approaches and the considerations brands should keep in mind when planning local media.
AMS is making the 2026 Political Advertising Dashboard and demos available to clients and agency partners. The model will continue to be refreshed as new source data becomes available and is designed to support planning around changing election conditions, including future special elections and election cycles.
Brands and agency partners interested in reviewing the latest market-level insights can contact insights@amsgrowthpartner.com to schedule a briefing with the AMS team.
The AMS Political Advertising Dashboard is a proprietary predictive intelligence tool developed by AMS Strategy & Research to help brands, agencies and media buyers understand where political advertising activity may create pressure on local television inventory. The model combines historical political-TV activity, race competitiveness, advertiser activity and other market signals to estimate political inventory intensity at the DMA level. The dashboard is refreshed as source data changes and is intended to provide an additional planning signal alongside campaign objectives, audience needs and current marketplace conditions.
AMS (Active Media Services, Inc.) is an independent media solutions company delivering sustainable growth to businesses across the globe. Its brands include Active International, offering innovative Corporate Trade solutions; Involved Media, a full-service media agency; and XACTV Network, providing efficient, AI-driven video reach. Based in New York, AMS has 12 offices and more than 600 employees across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Known for its values-driven culture, AMS has earned Great Place to Work® certifications in the U.S., UK, Canada, Spain, and Australia—alongside accolades for Inclusion, Mental Wellness, Millennials, and Women in Advertising. It has also been named by Campaign Magazine and the Australian Financial Review on their Best Places to Work lists and recognized among Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures. For more information, visit https://amsgrowthpartner.com.
