The “super PAC” supporting former Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has made a large reservation for television ad time in two Iowa markets, just as the former Texas governor has announced his second campaign for the White House.

Opportunity and Freedom PAC, which is being led by Austin Barbour, a Republican consultant, began placing nearly $170,000 worth of ads this week, according to a person tracking media spending, who was unauthorized to speak publicly.

Mr. Barbour did not respond to a call for comment. But the ad purchase is in two Iowa media markets, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, for the first two weeks of June.

The amount of airtime is significant. Running ads this early is not particularly effective in terms of luring voters, since few are paying attention. But it is likely an attempt to raise Mr. Perry’s profile to help him qualify for the early debates, hosted by Fox News and CNN, two networks that are trying to manage an unwieldy field of nearly 20 candidates and relying on polling performance to determine participation.