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2016 TV ad spending nears $500 million

Advertisers in the 2016 presidential race have now spent $491 million over the airwaves, according to ad-spending numbers from NBC News partner SMG Delta.
Political signs supporting Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Charleston on January 17, 2016.
Political signs supporting Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Charleston on January 17, 2016.

Advertisers in the 2016 presidential race have now spent $491 million over the airwaves, according to ad-spending numbers from NBC News partner SMG Delta.

The two biggest spenders to date have been the campaigns and allies of two candidates who exited the race months ago -- Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. Bush's Right to Rise Super PAC and campaign spent a whopping $82 million in ads, while Rubio and his outside groups spent more than $67 million.

Of the candidates remaining, Bernie Sanders and his allies have dropped $58 million, and Hillary Clinton and her outside groups have spent nearly $50 million on ads.

And as for presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, his ad spending is at the bottom of this list -- $18.8 million.

The biggest ad spenders to date:

  • Team Bush: $81.9 million ($76.9M from Right to Rise Super PAC, $5M from campaign)
  • Team Rubio: $67.3 million ($37.8M from Super PAC, $18.9M from campaign, $10.6M from 501c4)
  • Team Sanders: $58 million ($57.8M from campaign, $253K from National Nurses United Super PAC)
  • Team Clinton: $49.5 million ($44M from campaign, $5.5 million Priorities USA Super PAC and other outside groups)
  • Team Cruz: $36 million ($16.5M from campaign, rest from outside groups)
  • Team Trump: $18.8 million ($18.8M from campaign, $24K from TrumpPAC)
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com.