PS4 vs. Xbox One: Sony Spent $24 Million More On Advertising Than Microsoft Since January 2014

Sony may be ahead in the console war because the well-known entertainment brand is spending more money on advertising, according to research firm iSpot.

In April, Sony confirmed PS4 sales reached 7 million, while Microsoft claimed 5 million Xbox Ones had been sold to retailers. Industry watchers attributed the difference to several things: the PlayStation 4’s price of $399 compared to the Xbox One’s price of $499, the PlayStation’s earlier launch, and the lack of availability in certain areas for the Xbox One.

Still, Microsoft’s Xbox One launched without the Kinect for $100 off its original price tag last month, so now both devices are available for $399.

Research firm iSpot believes Sony may be pulling ahead in the sales race due to the massive amount of money it has spent on advertising. According to the Bellevue, Washington-based firm, Sony spent $59 million on PlayStation 4 ads from Jan. 1 through May 2014, while Microsoft spent $34.7 million during the same time frame.

PlayStation advertised primarily on Fox, ESPN, Comedy Central, Fox Sports 1 and TNT, while Microsoft made Fox Sports 1 its top priority, followed by Fox, Comedy Central, AMC and TBS.

The PlayStation 4, which launched in North America on Nov. 15, reportedly sold 1 million units within the first 24 hours of its launch, which led to 2.1 million consoles sold internationally as of early December. One week later, the PS4’s next-gen competitor, Microsoft’s Xbox One, launched in 13 countries, bundled with the Kinect, which was priced at $499. Microsoft Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Yusuf Mehdi also made an announcement in January regarding the details of Xbox One sales, saying the console had sold 3 million units by the end of December 2013.