New data shows how much political parties spent to woo voters at the May 3 federal election

The election campaign was hard fought, with parties making a slew of promises in a bid to woo voters. But it all came at a cost.

Following Labor’s landslide win in Saturday’s federal election, the incredible amount Australia’s political parties have spent on their campaigns has been revealed.

The five-week campaign was hard fought, with parties making a slew of promises on cost of living, energy, health, housing and national security in a bid to woo voters.

However, getting their messages to voters came at a cost, analysis by Australian video measurement firm Adgile has revealed.

Big spending on television ads helped Anthony Albanese, serving gelato at Bar Italia, win on Saturday night. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Television was again the major vehicle for reaching voters during the federal election campaign, with more than $54m spent on linear and broadcast video on demand services in just five weeks of campaigning.

Here’s just how much was spent by each party.

Millions spent on television

It may not come as a surprise that the election’s top spender on TV, BVOD and YouTube, was Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots.

The party spent a total of $24.1m for a return of zero seats.

However, they were followed very closely by Labor which spent a huge $24m in a bid to woo voters.

The Coalition followed closely behind with $20.7m spent.

Meanwhile, the Greens and other parties came in at just $4m spent.

Mr Lohman said Clive Palmer was the biggest spender pumping up – unsuccessfully – the Trumpet of the Patriots.

Clive Palmer, chairman and party spokesman for Trumpet of Patriots, spent millions again on the 2025 election campaign. NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Clive Palmer led total spending with a blunt-force media blitz across all channels, but Labor

and the Coalition weren’t too far behind and actually both spent more on TV than Trumpet of

Patriots,” Adgile founder and managing director Shaun Lohman said.

Television services including broadcast and BVOD like 7Plus, 9Now, 10Play, Binge/Kayo received $54m in ad spend, accounting for 74 per cent of all video revenue during the campaign.

More than $17m was spent on YouTube, mainly by minor parties and independents.

Parties spend on geotargeted ads

Mr Lohman said television “remains the most powerful channel for reaching voters” but the parties new tricks to get the right ads to the right voters.

“What’s new in this election is the scale and sophistication of geotargeting and addressable advertising,” he said.

“We’ve never seen this level of targeting or such a volume of variant political ads delivered across 7Plus, 9Now, 10Play, Foxtel’s apps, and YouTube in an Australian election.

“In 2025, it’s clear that Australia’s political parties have taken cues from the US election

playbook, adopting far more sophisticated strategies.

While Peter Dutton was trying to woo voters with cost of living measures, targeted ads were delivering specific messages to voters. Picture: Adam Head / NewsWire

“We saw highly targeted ads delivered to key electorates with precision.”

Labor went big and early on TV and video with policy messaging, such as their tax cuts, Lohman explained.

“They were spending consistently throughout the five weeks of the campaign, especially in the early weeks when they had more clear air,” he said.

“Given the significant pre-poll vote, this has had an impact on last night’s result and represents a strategic change, in terms of the media strategy compared with previous

elections.

“This campaign has been different, with geotargeted video ads targeting voters by

electorate, and Labor breaking the traditional spending model where parties have historically

held back their spend for a final-week advertising blitz.”