Sony vastly outspends Microsoft on next-gen TV ads

Newsbrief: We already know that sales of the PlayStation 4 have so far outpaced sales of the Xbox One. Both analysts and common sense have put much of that that down to the $100 price differential between the two consoles (from launch until this month, at least.) But a new report from The Wall Street Journal's CMO Today blog reveals that Sony has vastly outspent Microsoft on national TV advertising in the U.S. in 2014: $59 million, as compared to Microsoft's $34.7 million, from the period of January 1 to May 31. The numbers were calculated by advertising analytics firm iSpot. It's clear that no one factor is predictive of success -- nor is it clear which factor, if any, is decisive in the PlayStation 4's lead. It's interesting to note, however, how much more aggressive Sony has been so far.