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Last month, the Obama campaign announced a $5 million advertising buy during NBC's coverage of the Beijing Olympics, which was the largest by any presidential candidate on network television in the last 16 years. Not to be outdone, John McCain has made a last-minute ad buy of $6 million for the Olympics, which begin Friday.

The move was savvy beyond the symbolic political gamesmanship, notes Evan Tracey, chief operating officer of the Campaign Media Analysis Group at TNS Media Intelligence, in AdAge:

Tracey speculated that the McCain campaign, which is accepting federal funds for the general campaign, made the last-minute buy to use up money it raised for the primary season. That money can't be spent after the Republican National Convention, which is being held the first week in September.

Sure, both McCain and Obama said they'd boycott the opening ceremonies if they were president, but must-see TV is too good to pass up.