Thanks in part to an ad that aired during the Super Bowl Kickoff Show on CBS, Nintendo led gaming industry TV ad impressions during a recent 30-day period. Overall, 13 brands aired 36 spots over 3,000 times, generating 387.3 million TV ad impressions, 79.3% of which came from Nintendo. Notably, PlayStation, which has long dominated TV ad impressions for the industry, dropped to third place below GameFly.
GamesBeat has partnered with iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company, to bring you a monthly report on TV advertising by the gaming industry. These are the ads, and by extension the games, that game marketers have been putting major muscle behind.
Below are the top five most-seen gaming industry TV advertisers from Jan. 16 through Feb. 15.
Nintendo dethroned PlayStation this time with 307.3 million TV ad impressions generated by 15 commercials that ran over 1,700 times. “Cat Prints: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury,” promoting the new Switch game, was its most-seen spot, with 99.7 million TV ad impressions. According to an iSpot Ace Metrix survey, this spot performed above average across all industries, ranking high for likeability and watchability in particular. Top comments from viewers after watching the ad included “nostalgic” and “wholesome.” Networks generating high impression-counts for Nintendo included Nick, Cartoon Network, and CBS, while top programs included the Super Bowl Kickoff Show, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Amazing World of Gumball.
At No. 2: GameFly, with 32.3 million TV ad impressions from four commercials that aired 724 times. Its most-seen spot (21.4 million impressions) was “54 & 77 Cents: Call of Duty: Cold War.” Top shows by impressions included South Park, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Carbonaro Effect, while top networks included Nick Toons, truTV, and Disney XD.
PlayStation takes third place with 18.2 million TV ad impressions — a 95.7% decrease from the previous 30-day period — generated by four spots that ran 44 times. “Everything is Game: MyTeam,” promoting NBA 2K21, was the brand’s most-seen commercial with 12.2 million impressions. PlayStation targeted a sports-loving audience: Top networks by impressions included ESPN, Golf, and NBA TV, while top programming included the NBA, the PGA Tour, and Golf Today.
Fourth place goes to Nordeus, which aired two spots 416 times, resulting in 16.4 million TV ad impressions. “Lead Your Club to Glory,” a commercial promoting Top Eleven and featuring José Mourinho, generated the most impressions (10.8 million). The NFL, Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, and Mecum Auto Auctions topped the list of impressions-generating programming, while top networks included NBC Sports, Fox Deportes, and Fox Sports 1.
And finally there is Milestone, a newcomer to our ranking, with 5 million TV ad impressions. The brand had 22 airings of a single spot, “Leave Your Mark,” promoting Monster Energy Supercross 4. The ad only ran on two networks (NBC Sports and NBC), with top programming including motorcycle racing, Supercross Preview Special, and Supercross Preview Show.
GamesBeat
GamesBeat’s creed when covering the game industry is “where passion meets business.” What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you — not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. How will you do that? Membership includes access to:
- Newsletters, such as DeanBeat
- The wonderful, educational, and fun speakers at our events
- Networking opportunities
- Special members-only interviews, chats, and “open office” events with GamesBeat staff
- Chatting with community members, GamesBeat staff, and other guests in our Discord
- And maybe even a fun prize or two
- Introductions to like-minded parties
