Mobile company TV ad spend outpacing console games

Four of the biggest video game TV ad spenders in the US in Q1 were mobile game companies.

VentureBeat reports that iSpot data shows that the four companies in question – King (Candy Crush Saga), Machine Zone (Game of War), Supercell (Clash of Clans) and uCool (Heroes Charge) – spent $130m between them throughout the period.

The first three alone accounted for 30 per cent of all overall video game TV ad spend.

Traditional console manufacturers PlayStation, Nintendo and Microsoft came in at fourth, fifth and eighth respectively in the total expenditure rakings while 2K, EA and Ubisoft ranked seventh, 11th and 21st.

Last year, in the wake of the PS4 and Xbox One launch, Sony and Microsoft accounted for 36 per cent of the sector’s spend. This year that fell to ten per cent.

In contrast, Machine Zone climbed year-on-year from 6.7 per cent to 21 per cent while Supercell grew from ten per cent to 22 per cent. uCool wasn’t even advertising last year yet this year accounts for 11 per cent of the market.

Supercell is also enjoying more viral success, too, with 77 per cent of the digital buzz” generated from 90 game ads run over 2015 going to Supercell.