Nintendo Had Most TV Video Game Ads in 2015

2015 marked a 47% increase in television ad spending by game companies, chalking up to an estimated $630 million. Of all the video game companies spending this money on TV advertising, Mario maker Nintendo produced the most ads. However, the company was beat out on spending the most money.

iSpot.tv reports that Game of War company Machine Zone spent the most money on television ads, racking up a total of $92.7 million for 18 ads (via GamesIndustry.biz). Meanwhile, Nintendo spent less than half that--only $42.1 million on 49 ads. Machine Zone's Game of War ads, featuring supermodel Kate Upton and later singer Mariah Carey, accounted for nearly 10 percent of the entire industry's spendings.

However, both companies were beat when it came to most spent on an ad in a single day. Clash of Clans developer Supercell was the lone game company to spend $3 million in one day. It hit that mark twice; one commercial airing during the Super Bowl, and the other during the NBA Finals.

On the console-based side of things, Activision spent the most. The Call of Duty company spent $57.5 million last year, most of it on Call of Duty: Black Ops III, an estimated $30 million. According to iSpot.tv, the company also invested heavily in Destiny.

The fourth quarter was a particularly expensive time for game publishers, as they spent more than half of the entire year's budget in preparation for the holiday season. Demographically, consumers who watch sports were advertised to the most. Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Fallout 4 had around three-quarters of their ad spending go to sports-related shows.