ReportSensor Tower
The State of Mobile Game Advertising: An Analysis of U.S. Mobile Game Advertising Trends in 2021
1 Jan 202130 pages~13 min full read
Mobile game advertising in the U.S. remained resilient through H1 2021, showing no immediate negative impact from the deprecation of IDFA.
Playable ads have become a dominant creative format, accounting for over 40 percent of the gaming share of voice on AppLovin.
Specialized ad networks like AppLovin, Chartboost, and Vungle maintain a gaming-focused inventory exceeding 90 percent share of voice, while platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube provide broader audience reach.
Ad network selection is increasingly genre-specific, with Puzzle and Hypercasual games favoring gaming-focused networks, while Strategy and Shooter titles find higher engagement on social platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
Adcolony has established itself as a primary hub for Casino games, effectively targeting an older, female-leaning demographic.
Creative strategies are shifting toward simplified playable 'mini-games' to lower user acquisition barriers, a tactic now utilized even by complex mid-core titles like Call of Duty: Mobile.
Mobile game advertising in the United States remained resilient through the first half of 2021, showing no immediate negative impact from privacy changes such as the deprecation of IDFA. Analysis of the advertising landscape reveals a strategic divide between ad networks. Specialized platforms like AppLovin, Chartboost, and Vungle maintain a high concentration of gaming content, often exceeding 90 percent share of voice. In contrast, diversified platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube maintain a more balanced split between gaming and non-gaming advertisements, serving as critical channels for reaching broader audiences.
Market trends indicate that ad network selection is increasingly driven by genre and demographic alignment. Puzzle and Hypercasual games dominate gaming-focused networks, while mid-core genres like Strategy and Shooter find higher engagement on social platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Notably, Adcolony emerged as a primary hub for Casino games, catering to an older, female-leaning demographic. Across most platforms, video remains the dominant creative format, though playable ads have gained significant traction, particularly on AppLovin where they account for over 40 percent of gaming share of voice.
Creative strategies are evolving to include "fake playables," relaxing music for casual titles, and real-world testimonial-style conversations. Even mid-core titles with complex mechanics, such as Call of Duty: Mobile, have begun adopting simplified playable "mini-games" to lower the barrier for user acquisition. This data, compiled by Sensor Tower using its Ad Intelligence platform, covers U.S. trends across iOS and Android from 2018 through the second quarter of 2021, suggesting that success in the current market requires a sophisticated mix of genre-specific network targeting and experimental creative formats.
