DMA stands for Designated Market Area. They are areas within the US that are defined based on local radio and television stations, created by Neilson. They are also sometimes referred to as media markets, broadcast markets or TV markets.

DMAs are used in market research to measure audiences, in terms of consumer demographics, and to ensure either their message caters to that specific audience or to see how brand awareness tracks within specific markets.

While DMAs are often named after large cities that are in that area, they can cross over to more than one state, shown in the map below.

Colours = DMA
Black lines = State

Best practice

DMAs can vary in size based on population, so targeting smaller DMAs may not be feasible, especially if you have a niche audience to target. If you have a specific audience and quotas you’d like to target in a specific DMA, you can add this to the ‘Audience’ section using Attest to see what the available sample will be. If you're ever unsure, you can always reach out to your Customer Research Manager who will be able to guide you.