Who is still a persuadable voter in 2026?
Battleground Data and Cross Screen Media just released our newest national model, showing that 8% of the adult population is still persuadable and likely to vote heading into the midterms.
But, knowing who these voters are is not enough.
How do persuadable voters consume ad-supported video in 2026?
We combined voter data with viewership data to answer: Where can you actually reach persuadable voters on the big screen?
83% are reachable on ad-supported streaming
65% are reachable on Linear TV (Broadcast and Cable)
Streaming is now the primary way to reach persuadable voters.
When you break down big screen viewing:
22% are only reachable on ad-supported streaming
3% are only reachable on Linear TV
62% are reachable on both
14% are reachable on neither (None-None)
Are all persuadable voters the same?
No! Different parts of the United States consume video content differently. In our report, we looked at viewership data in every state.
Let’s take a look at the key 2026 Senate States.
The Cook Political Report shows both Georgia and Maine to be toss-ups and potential party flips. Their persuadable voters couldn’t be more different in terms of viewership.
In Georgia, over a third of persuadable voters are streaming-only.
In Maine, it’s closer to 1 in 15.
What does this mean for Linear?
It’s still really important. 65% of persuadable voters still watch broadcast and cable. And the percentage of voters who see linear ads is actually higher.
Voters who consume live TV through streaming platforms like YouTube TV or Hulu Live are served many of the same ads purchased for traditional broadcast and cable airings, particularly for the most sought-after programming like sports, news, and tentpole events.
Live TV streamers represent a subset of all streamers, but they've become a key pathway for linear ads to reach audiences even as traditional linear subscriptions decline.
What does this mean for political advertisers?
Plan based on your audience's viewing habits. Every audience is different; work with vendors that have insights on individual-level viewership and plan buys around this data.
Don’t carbon copy plans. Political agencies juggle a lot in Election Years. That doesn’t mean the plan proposed for Maine should be the same as the one in Georgia.
Plan TV and Streaming together. Share plans. Streaming buyers should factor in the TV plan and estimate the level of TV pass-throughs. Don’t duplicate inventory.