PlayStation starts 2021 as king of TV ad impressions

PlayStation has continued its domination of gaming industry TV advertising into the new year, racking up over 425.7 million ad impressions from mid-December to mid-January — 44% of the industry’s total.

Overall, 16 brands aired 51 spots more than 4,000 times during our measurement window, resulting in 962.7 million TV ad impressions. Once again, sports delivered top impression-counts. And it’s also worth noting the appearance of ranking-newcomer Jackbox Games, which debuts at No. 4.

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 Dec. 16 through Jan. 15.

PlayStation aired seven spots 341 times, generating 425.7 million TV ad impressions. Its most-seen commercial (156.5 million impressions) was “New Worlds to Explore,” promoting the PlayStation 5. Over 30% of the brand’s impressions came from college football, while the NFL and NBA also delivered top impression-counts. Top networks by impressions included ESPN, ABC, and ESPNU.

Xbox takes second place with 163.7 million TV ad impressions, the bulk of which occurred in December. The brand ran four commercials 699 times, with the Cyberpunk 2077 spot “Seize the Day,” featuring Keanu Reeves, generating the most impressions (80.3 million). Top programs included broadcasts of college football games, South Park, and Family Guy; Fox, Comedy Central, and FXX were among the top networks delivering impressions.

At No. 3: Nintendo, which generated 159.9 million TV ad impressions from 887 airings of 20 spots. With 28.7 million impressions, “My Way to Play: Minecraft Dungeons,” advertising the Switch, was the brand’s most-seen commercial. Notably, during the period measured, college football was the top programming driving impressions for Nintendo — a break from its usual family/kid-friendly focus. Other top shows included Big City Greens and SpongeBob SquarePants, while top networks included Disney Channel, ABC, and Nick.

Jackbox Games, which advertised on national TV for the first time ever in November, takes fourth place. The brand aired two spots, both promoting Jackbox PartyPack 7, 711 times, and generated 66.2 million TV ad impressions. Its most-seen spot was “Roommates,” with 39.8 million TV ad impressions. Three of the top shows by impressions were Las Vegas, South Park, and Martin, while top networks driving impressions included E!, Freeform, and IFC.

EA Sports rounds out the ranking with 44.8 million TV ad impressions generated from four commercials that aired 104 times. The Madden NFL 21 spot “Feel Game Day” was EA’s most-seen, with 29.1 million impressions. The brand targeted sports lovers, with the NFL, Monday Night Kickoff, and college football as the top programming by impressions, while top networks included NFL Network, ESPN, and ABC.