Hulu Makes Play for 2012 Political Dollars as TV Ad Prices Heat Up

Television continues to be the sledgehammer of political campaigns, with even the most digital-oriented candidates, like Scott Brown, who ran for a Senate seat in Massachusetts in 2010, only spending about 10% of their media budgets online. But that percentage is expected to inch upward in the 2012 election cycle, and sites like Hulu stand to benefit as media buyers look to buy political spots in competitive districts in expensive media markets. Hulu is focused on courting political agencies in 2012, armed with statistics to show that its audience is politically engaged. September ComScore data says 80% of eligible voters on Hulu cast a ballot in both the 2010 mid-term election and 2008 presidential election.