Market (Mobile)·Updated Apr 8, 2026 by Sensor Tower
What can I help with?
AI-powered answers with citations from the library.
What can I help with?
AI-powered answers with citations from the library.
Report · January 1, 2021
Published by Sensor Tower
The report examines U.S. mobile game advertising in 2021, focusing on ad network share of voice (SOV), creative formats, genre‑specific trends, and demographic alignment. Five gaming‑centric networks—Chartboost, Unity, Adcolony, ironSource, and Vungle—dominated game advertising, each maintaining over 90 % SOV from games on iOS and Android. In contrast, mainstream social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) displayed a more balanced mix of gaming and non‑gaming ads, with SOV from games ranging 40–60 %. AppLovin and MoPub shifted toward gaming in late‑2018, investing heavily in hypercasual publishers; this pivot increased their game SOV to roughly 90 % on iOS and 80 % on Android by early‑2021. AdMob’s focus on Google Play titles grew, with its game SOV rising from 60 % to 80 % by Q2 2021. Creative analysis shows video ads remain the dominant format across networks, accounting for >50 % of game ad spend on iOS and Android. Playable ads gained traction among hypercasual publishers (e.g., AppLovin) and, more recently, mid‑core titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and State of Survival. Full‑screen ads were more common on Android, especially for Google Play games. Genre‑level insights reveal puzzle and hypercasual games rely heavily on gaming‑focused networks (Chartboost, Unity), while mid‑core and strategy titles favor broader platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Casino games concentrated on Adcolony, which also hosts many real‑money reward creatives. The study concludes that despite IDFA changes, game advertising volumes remained stable into 2021. Publishers can optimize spend by matching network demographics to target audiences—YouTube for younger, male strategy players; Adcolony for older, female casino gamers—and by adopting emerging creative trends such as simple playable ads and background music to differentiate in a crowded market.
SensorTower Mee 'e i Jooe neor L2222 13:414 The State of OSAG Mobile Game Call of Duty®: Mobile Advertising 2021 CALL-DUTY Activision Publishing, Inc. — 115K RATINGS AGE CHART DEVEL An Analysis of U.S. Mobile Game 4.7 17+ No18 Advertising Game Years Old Action Activision AdvertisingTrends in 2021 Trends in 2021 What's New Version History Version 1.0.26 2w ago
Sensor Tower Score:0 Table of Contents 03 - Ad Network Trends BINGO 11 - Game Genre Trends BUTYOUCNSTIL 15 2843 4 19 - Creative Trends PLYVANWHERE! 25 - Conclusion Game Advertising Creative Trends
Score:0 2 Ad Network Trends: BING BUTYOUCNSTIL 15 28 United States CAN STILL STILL PLYVANWHERE! ANYWHERE! 7 22 CAN ANYWHERE! — BUTYOU Game Advertising Trends by Ad Network PLAY
Five Ad Networks Lead the Way by Game Share of Voice U.S. share of voice for mobile games vs. non-game apps by ad network, 1Q18 to 1Q21 iOS Android Five ad networks were primarily focused on Games Other Games Other mobile games and had at least 90 percent of Chartboost 96.5% Chartboost 88.3% their share of voice (SOV) come from games on Unity 92.4% AppLovin A 88.0% the App Store. AppLovin has also had more than Adcolony iS 91.5% ironSource iS 85.8% 90 percent iOS SOV from games since the ironSource 91.1% Unity 77.1% beginning of 2019. Vungle 90.9% you can win Vungle ib 74.4% AppLovin A 76.3% REAL MONEY Another five networks had a more even split MoPub 63.5% TikTok* 62.2% between gaming and non-gaming. AdMob, AdMob 59.1% Adcolony 60.3% Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube had Bingo Clash 56.9% between 40 and 60 percent SOV from games. Instagram 56.2% Instagram*** 53.5% While these networks serve a substantial Facebook 48.2% Facebook number of non-game ads, they remain an TikTok* 47.0% AdMob 44.2% important option for mobile games as well. YouTube 42.0% Snapchat** 32.0% Snapchat** 24.3% MoPub 27.9% *TikTok share of voice includes data since Q4 2019 Pinterest 4.9% YouTube 23.5% **Snapchat share of voice includes data since Q1 2019 ***For Android, Instagram share of voice includes data 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% since Q1 2019 Ad Network Trends
AppLovin and MoPub Have Shifted Towards Gaming Quarterly U.S. iOS share of voice from mobile games by ad network, 1Q18 to 2Q21 A AppLovin MoPub Facebook AdMob Instagram YouTube AppLovin transitioned towards being much 100% more focused on game advertisements at the AppLovin start of 2019. This corresponded with its 80% investment in mobile game developers such as MoPub PeopleFun, Firecraft Studios, and Belka Games, in addition to its own game publishing wing, 60% you can win ib Facebook Lion Studios. REAL MONEY AdMob SensorTower Instagram MoPub and Facebook have also become more gaming-focused since 2018. Meanwhile, 40% Bingo Clash YouTube YouTube has seen SOV from games gradually decline in recent years before an uptick in 2Q21. 20% 0% Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Ad Network Trends
AdMob Game Advertising Trending Up for Google Play Titles Quarterly U.S. Android share of voice from mobile games by ad network, 1Q18 to 2Q21 A AppLovin Facebook AdMob MoPub Similar to what’s seen on iOS, AppLovin’s share 100% of voice from Google Play games has hovered AppLovin around 90 percent since Q1 2019. Among the ad 80% networks tracked by Sensor Tower, only Chartboost had a higher SOV from games since the start of 2018. 60% you can win ib Facebook Interestingly, while games have continued to REAL MONEY SensorTower AdMob control share of voice for MoPub on iOS, game SOV decreased on Android in late 2020. Top 40% Bingo Clash advertisers on the network in Q2 2021 included Audible, TikTok, and Venmo, and only four MoPub games ranked among the top 20 apps by SOV. In 20% contrast, AdMob has become more gaming focused on Android since the start of 2020. 0% Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Ad Network Trends
The white paper argues that the 2025 mobile app market has shifted from volume‑driven traffic growth to value‑centric, technology‑enabled optimization. It identifies a “scissor gap” where the number of active advertisers fell 16.7 % YoY while creatives per advertiser rose 73.3 %, indicating higher competitive thresholds and a focus on creative quality. Market share remains strongest in business & productivity, utilities, entertainment, and finance, but creative volume is dominated by short‑drama, reading, and AI apps. iOS and Android advertising ratios stabilized at 4:6, with iOS advertisers producing more creatives due to higher monetization expectations. User acquisition spend reached $78 billion, a 13 % YoY increase driven almost entirely by iOS, with e‑commerce, fintech, and betting leading non‑gaming verticals. Video remains the dominant ad format (≈70 % of social inventory), while static and playable ads serve testing, Android traffic, and engagement signals. AI has moved from a marketing tool to a core capability; leading AI apps scale through volume and quality, while many smaller entrants exit due to weak monetization. Finance apps maintain steady growth focused on user quality, lifetime value, and compliance, contrasting with AI’s rapid scaling. North America remains the most selective market, demanding high content quality and long‑term trust; success here signals scalability elsewhere. The paper concludes that sustainable growth now hinges on creative capability, system efficiency, AI integration, and long‑term value creation rather than sheer traffic volume.
SocialPeta’s analytics platform aggregates data from more than 90,000 micro‑drama advertisers and 80 million ad creatives across over 55 countries, positioning itself as a key resource for launching and scaling micro‑drama apps worldwide. The platform projects the global micro‑drama market to reach $6 billion by 2026, emphasizing its capacity to deliver actionable insights into advertising strategies, creative formulas, and regional audience preferences. In 2025 the ecosystem expanded sharply: active advertisers rose by 63.6 % to over 700, while each advertiser produced a 144.9 % increase in creatives, largely thanks to AI‑powered production tools. Southeast Asia dominated genre preferences for “reversal of fortune” and “rebirth” dramas, whereas North America’s high‑paying users gravitated toward premium romance content. Europe remained the largest source of creative volume, underscoring a sustained upward trend in both advertiser participation and output across the globe. A case study of “Evil Bride vs. The CEO’s Secret Mom” illustrates high‑impact marketing: 44 K creatives generated an estimated 2.7 B impressions in key markets such as the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany. AI‑driven tools—DSV restructuring and automated cover/clip generation—reduced production time, enabling rapid localization. Short, cliffhanger‑style ads with intense conflict and strong visual hooks outperformed longer formats, driving downloads and engagement in North America, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. By late 2024 vertical micro‑dramas had matured into a stable ecosystem, with regional preferences—“reversal of fortune” in Southeast Asia and conflict‑driven stories in Latin America—fueling audience engagement. Production scaled to 55 vertical dramas in 2025 through standardized pipelines and AI‑enhanced marketing, allowing faster creative validation, lower volatility, and continuous data‑driven optimization. The analysis stresses that audience‑first IP development—testing concepts in short form before scaling—and multi‑platform, AI‑supported workflows are essential for reducing creative risk and converting IP into long‑term company capital.
The release reports that Stillfront Group’s Q4 2025 performance achieved a 27 % adjusted EBITDAC margin, up from 25 % in the prior year, despite a 9.4 % decline in organic revenue to SEK 1,356 million. Europe drove the margin expansion through a new franchise launch and the divestiture of Narrative, while North America maintained an efficiency focus. MENA & APAC contributed to growth in both margin and revenue, with the SEKm portfolio delivering a 27 % margin. Key franchises such as Supremacy, Home Design, and Jawaker remained central to the group’s strategy. The company highlighted a shift from three operating segments to a single segment structure, consolidating Europe, North America, and MENA & APAC under one umbrella to streamline reporting. This reorganisation also reduced the number of key franchises from 5 to 2 in Europe, 2 in North America, and 3 in MENA & APAC. Free cash flow for Q4 2025 was SEK 922 million, down from SEK 1,050 million in Q4 2024, driven by a lower cash flow from operations (SEKm) and higher acquisition costs. Net debt stood at SEK 6,125 million with a leverage ratio of 2.2x against adjusted pro‑forma LTM EBITDA, indicating a moderate debt burden. The group’s forward‑looking priorities include continued margin improvements, disciplined investment in key franchises, maintaining healthy cash flows, and ongoing strategic reviews. These initiatives aim to sustain profitability while supporting growth across its global portfolio.
India’s festive season—from Onam in August through Diwali and Christmas in December—drives more than 30 % of the country’s annual digital advertising spend, making it a pivotal period for app marketers. In 2024, mobile games alone attracted over 3.2 billion downloads and generated $151 million in‑app purchase revenue, while non‑gaming verticals such as shopping, food delivery and OTT experienced sharp install spikes during key festivals. The data reveal a 53 % rise in mobile ad spend from Q1‑Q2 to Q3‑Q4, with installs up 36 % and re‑engagements soaring 69 % during the peak festive window, underscoring the season’s high‑value user acquisition and monetisation potential. User‑acquisition efficiency improved markedly, with CPI falling by approximately 12 % while CPA remained stable. Video and playable ads delivered the highest ROAS—up to 4.2× in fintech and 3.8× in e‑commerce—and programmatic/OEM placements on Xiaomi and Samsung yielded significant conversion lifts, particularly in Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 cities. Creatives that refreshed weekly, incorporated localized language, and employed urgency cues such as countdowns outperformed static ads, highlighting the need for agile, culturally relevant creative and a diversified media mix that extends beyond Meta and Google into programmatic and OEM channels. Marketers are increasingly leveraging data‑driven platforms—Singular, MobuppsX, Sensor Tower, Pathmatics and others—to optimise acquisition, retention and media spend. By integrating MAFO, iRTB, advanced fraud prevention and audience‑retention analytics, brands can reduce wasted spend, improve advertising ROI and accelerate growth across web, social and mobile channels. A unified data‑house approach enables faster campaign optimisation, measurable engagement gains and stronger competitive positioning during India’s lucrative festive period.