Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Michael Bloomberg prepares to speak at the Christian Cultural Center in New York. Photo: Yana Paskova/Getty Images
Former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced a $31 million TV ad campaign on Friday in several key primary states ahead of an anticipated announcement to enter the 2020 Democratic primary race for president, NBC News reports, citing Advertising Analytics.
Why it matters: The reported figure would be the single biggest ad buy in American campaign history, with Barack Obama holding the previous record at $30 million in 2012. Bloomberg's first ad spend comes as he has filed paperwork to jump into the race, but his campaign team says he has not made a final decision.
By the numbers: The eight-figure investment "is already more than half of the $50 million the entire 2020 Democratic presidential field has spent on television so far this year," ABC notes per CMAG's data.
- This covers more than two dozen markets including Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Michigan, ABC writes, citing data compiled by Advertising Analytics, and it only spreads across an eight-day period, per the New York Times. A partial breakdown of the spend includes:
- $2.3 million in New York City
- Over $1 million in Los Angeles
- $1.1 million in Miami
- $1.1 million in Orlando
- $43,000 in Fargo, N.D.
TV stations have not yet filled all their ad buy records from Bloomberg, so the numbers are anticipated to grow. The ads are scheduled to start airing on Monday.
Go deeper: The fringe internet frets over Mike Bloomberg's place in the 2020 race