The Communications Commission has carried out an analysis of paid and free pre-election advertising for the 2021 Georgian municipal elections, which showed that TV and radio broadcasters dedicated more than 39,000 total minutes to free political advertising, which is the equivalent of paid advertising worth approximately GEL 23.2 million. TV broadcasters allocated a total of more than 35,000 minutes, worth GEL 22.5 million, to free political advertising.   

As for paid political advertising, TV and radio broadcasters registered total revenues of GEL 3.8 million. 

Time allocated to free political advertising was distributed among 12 national TV broadcasters. The market value of free political advertising was determined on the basis of the pricing structure set by the broadcasters themselves for the relevant programs outside the election period. 

If the broadcasters were to collect revenues from free political advertising, their revenue figures would look as follows: Mtavari TV and the Georgian Public Broadcaster would have collected GEL 3.2 million (14.2% of the market total) each, followed by TV Pirveli with GEL 3.1 million (13.6% share), Rustavi 2 / Media Holding with GEL 2.5 million (11.2% share), POSTV and Adjara TV with GEL 1.7 million (7.6% share) each, Formula with GEL 1.6 million (7.1% share), Studio Maestro with GEL 1.6 million (7.0% share), Imedi TV with GEL 1.5 million (6.6% share), Euronews Georgia with GEL 1.4 million (6% share), Palitra News with GEL 0.8 million (4% share), and Obiektivi with GEL 266,000 (1% share). 

Paid political adverts were placed across 8 national TV channels by the following five political unions: Georgian Dream, Lelo for Georgia, United National Movement, Girchi and Tribune. 

Rustavi 2 / Media Holding collected GEL 769,461 in revenues from paid political advertising, which was mainly commissioned by Georgian Dream (87.2% of the total). Imedi TV collected GEL 640,132 in revenues from paid political adverts that were commissioned solely by Georgian Dream. TV Pirveli collected GEL 606,773 in revenues, with Lelo for Georgia accounting for 90% of the sum. Mtavari TV collected GEL 276,648 in revenues, with 61.3% of the adverts being commissioned by Lelo for Georgia. GDS collected GEL 276,648 in revenues, with all adverts being commissioned by Georgian Dream. POSTV collected GEL 245,333 in revenues, also mainly from Georgian Dream (88%). Formula collected GEL 194,477 in revenues, with the largest client being the United National Movement (63%). Palitra News only aired paid political adverts commissioned by Girchi and collected GEL 14,492 in revenues. 

As for the regional broadcasters, a total of GEL 44,661 was collected for paid political advertising by 22 broadcasters.