The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a major Republican super PAC, is accusing Disney of systematically blocking its political advertisements from reaching streaming audiences in three competitive states, according to documentation reviewed by Breitbart News.
The group says Disney has labeled its ads as TV-MA — a rating reserved for mature audiences — effectively preventing them from airing to the majority of viewers on Hulu and other Disney-owned streaming platforms. The restriction has impacted advertising in Ohio, Alaska, and North Carolina, all states with key Senate races where SLF has committed tens of millions of dollars.
Ohio: A Multi-Million Dollar Loss
In Ohio, SLF says at least two-thirds of its ads aimed at reaching voters have been blocked under Disney’s policy. The group had budgeted a minimum of $3.6 million through Election Day to defeat former Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, but is now limited to spending less than $100,000 per week — with less than $40,000 allocated for Hulu alone. That translates to a projected spending loss of more than $2.6 million.
The two Ohio ads in question both reference Brown’s support for child sex change surgeries, a flashpoint in the broader culture war over transgender policies.
Disney is reportedly the only streaming platform applying the TV-MA label to block these ads from wider audiences. SLF claims the policy has led to a loss of millions of impressions and “likely” prevented political advertising from reaching tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of subscribers.
North Carolina and Alaska Also Affected
The restrictions extend beyond Ohio. In North Carolina, a single ad narrated by the father of a murdered college-age woman has been blocked from airing on 75 percent of programs on Hulu, according to the group.
In Alaska, SLF says its ads have also been affected, though specific details on the scope of the blocking in that state were not provided in the documentation reviewed by Breitbart.
All three states feature competitive races in which SLF has committed tens of millions of dollars in advertising, making the streaming restrictions particularly consequential for the group’s electoral strategy.
Disney’s Streaming Dominance
SLF notes that Disney holds the second-largest footprint in streaming for political advertisers, behind only YouTube. The group argues that the policies appear to be targeting only “culture war” ads made by Republican-aligned organizations, suggesting a pattern of preferential treatment toward Democrats.
An SLF spokesperson said that if Democrats were spending similar amounts in those states, they would effectively reach three times the number of voters on the second-largest platform in streaming. A person familiar with SLF’s spending also blasted what they described as preferential treatment toward Democrats by “woke corporations” like Disney.
The allegations come as connected television (CTV) spending continues to surge. AdImpact, an advertising intelligence company, projected in June that CTV spending in the 2026 cycle would surpass $2.5 billion, making it the fastest-growing media type in political advertising.
Political Ad Spending and Platform Policies
The dispute highlights growing tensions between political advertisers and streaming platforms over content moderation policies. Disney’s TV-MA rating, typically applied to shows with strong language, violence, or adult themes, is being used to restrict political ads that the company may deem unsuitable for general audiences.
SLF’s blocked ads focus on two main themes: the transgender agenda and crime. The Ohio ads specifically target Brown’s record on transgender medical procedures for minors, while the North Carolina ad features a father grieving a murdered daughter — a visceral appeal aimed at highlighting public safety concerns.
Neither Disney nor Hulu has publicly commented on the specific allegations. Breitbart News reached out to Disney for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The blocking of these ads raises questions about the influence of major streaming platforms over political speech and the ability of campaigns and outside groups to reach voters in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. With streaming now a dominant source of television viewership, restrictions on political advertising could have significant implications for electoral outcomes.
SLF’s experience in Ohio, North Carolina, and Alaska may serve as a test case for how Republican groups navigate platform policies in the 2026 cycle. If the group’s allegations are accurate, it could signal a broader challenge for conservative advertisers seeking to reach voters on streaming services.
As of now, SLF says it has lost millions in projected spending and impressions, with no indication that Disney plans to reverse its policy. The group continues to call for transparency and equal treatment for political advertisers across all platforms.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/25/republican-ads-attacking-democrats-on-trans-agenda-crime-blocked-by-disney/