In Game Advertising

The panel “The Future of Ad Monetization” presented at Gamesforum Barcelona 2026 focuses on the evolving role of advertising within mobile game economies, arguing that ads are no longer ancillary revenue but integral to core gameplay loops. Experts from PlayPack, GameBiz Consulting, and Nekki highlight that by 2025 ad monetization has become one of the most challenging systems, requiring creative integration and data‑driven adaptivity. PlayPack’s Merge Away example illustrates how hybrid models combining rewarded ads and in‑app purchases can drive profitability, yet misaligned user cohorts can cause revenue drops of up to 30 %. The discussion stresses the necessity of real‑time visibility into ad source performance and the importance of designing ad moments as optional, rewarding side quests rather than punitive blockers.

GameBiz Consulting’s specialist notes that newer formats such as App Open, audio, and immersive ads have yet to achieve widespread adoption due to user experience friction and lower eCPMs. He recommends cautious experimentation, high price floors for intrusive formats, and pairing ads with “no‑ads” purchase offers to mitigate churn. The panel also emphasizes that the future lies in contextual, segmented ad experiences—matching the player’s motivation and session flow—to transform ads from interruptions into meaningful choices.

Nekki’s head of monetization projects that the most valuable in‑game currency will shift from virtual goods to player time, advocating for adaptive ad systems that respect individual player preferences. He foresees LiveOps integration of dynamic, data‑driven ad touchpoints tied to progression events. Overall, the panel concludes that sustainable revenue will stem from a balance of data insight, empathetic design, and adaptive monetization strategies that treat ads as living components of the game ecosystem.

Gaming has become the dominant entertainment medium for younger generations, with 80 % of under‑18s actively gaming and Gen Z allocating up to 22 % of free time to play. The study, combining first‑party data from SuperAwesome and Anzu with social listening, qualitative research, quantitative surveys, syndicated data, brand lift studies and parent‑tracking panels, covers the UK, France, Germany, the United States and global markets from 2023‑24. A sample of 30 000 children, teens and young adults (ages 4‑24) plus parent responses informs the analysis.

Key findings show that gaming captures more attention than social media for Gen Z, with 55 % of under‑18s reporting a strong affinity for branded in‑game experiences. Younger gamers are highly receptive to ads, with 75 % of Gen Z players in the UK and US saying in‑game ads improve their experience, compared to 34 % of older adults. In‑game advertising drives higher brand recall (+7 pts) and purchase intent (+9 pts) for audiences under 34, and generates a “halo effect” that boosts brand affinity by up to 86 % among under‑18s. Parents report that children influence household spending, with 86 % saying their child’s opinions matter in purchases and 82 % prioritising items for children.

The report recommends a multi‑platform, contextual approach that respects emerging data‑protection regulations and Age Appropriate Design Codes. It emphasizes early engagement before brand loyalties lock at age 16, contextual targeting over behavioural profiling, and rigorous creative vetting to avoid manipulative design. The analysis underscores gaming’s strategic importance for reaching Gen Alpha and Gen Z, offering measurable lift across awareness, consideration and purchase stages.

Hybrid monetization can increase revenue without eroding player retention by treating advertisements as an integral part of the game’s design system. Three core ad formats—interstitials, rewarded video (RV), and banners—are positioned strategically through careful gating on level progression, playtime, or cooldown periods. Optimal triggers and placement reduce player frustration while maximizing eCPM, ensuring that monetization flows naturally with gameplay.

Rewarded video is most effective when offered during high‑stakes moments such as revives, boosters, or time‑limited rewards. Leveraging scarcity and urgency in these contexts drives conversions while preserving the core experience. Consistent visual cues, a clear distinction between coin rewards and RV value, and optional “No Ads” bundles further balance monetization with player comfort.

Selling “No Ads” bundles requires thoughtful presentation. Bundles should appear side‑by‑side with regular items, use distinct visual cues and anchoring to convey high value, and be gated behind a minimum purchase tier to protect payer retention. Segmenting ad exposure—capping impressions, applying cooldowns, and filtering out disruptive creatives—maintains a positive user experience while sustaining revenue.

Overall, the strategy blends ad formats with gameplay mechanics, employs scarcity and urgency for rewarded video, and offers high‑value “No Ads” options. This approach delivers robust monetization across diverse segments while safeguarding long‑term player engagement and retention.

October 2019 to September 2020 The future information, such as earnings forecast, written in this document is based on our expectations and assumptions as of the date the forecast was made. Our actual results could differ materially from those described in this forecast because of various 1. FY2020 Full Year Results _{(October 2019}- September 2020) 2. FY2021 Forecast _{(October 2020}- September 2021) 3. Internet Advertisement Business 7.

The presentation outlines CyberAgent’s FY2024 performance, emphasizing record sales and operating profit growth across its three core businesses—Internet Advertising, Media (ABEMA), and Game. Consolidated sales reached ¥215.1 billion in Q2, up 10.0% YoY, while operating profit rose to ¥21.0 billion, a 12.2% increase and the first time surpassing ¥20 billion in eight quarters. Internet Advertising sales climbed 7.1% YoY to ¥107.3 billion, with operating profit up 19.6%. The Media segment achieved a new high of ¥42.0 billion in sales, up 25.8% YoY, and turned profitable for the first time since Q2 2023; operating profit increased 0.7 billion yen. Game sales grew 8.1% YoY to ¥67.1 billion, driven by the launch of “Granblue Fantasy: Relink,” which sold one million units within eleven days, and by anniversary events for major titles; operating profit surged 19.8% YoY.

Financially, SG&A expenses increased modestly by 2.9%, while cash deposits and fixed assets grew significantly, reflecting investment in technology and talent. Net income attributable to shareholders rose 30.8% YoY to ¥10.3 billion, offset by a temporary extraordinary loss.

The company’s strategy focuses on leveraging generative AI and large‑language models (CyberAgentLM) to enhance ad creative, expand ABEMA’s sports content through partnerships with DAZN and WOWSPO, and sustain game revenue by launching new titles such as “Granblue Fantasy Versus” and “Umamusume Pretty Derby.” The overarching goal is to increase sales and profits, with FY2023 operating profit as a low point, and to position CyberAgent as a global digital media and technology leader.

Mobile gaming has structurally reorganized to treat advertising as a foundational revenue model, generating $12 billion annually across 19 global markets. As of 2026, ad-supported titles account for 84% of all game downloads, underscoring the ubiquity of this monetization strategy. The landscape is characterized by significant market consolidation, with AppLovin and AdMob controlling 65% of total ad revenue. Within this ecosystem, the puzzle genre remains the primary driver of financial performance, capturing over half of all ad earnings.

The competitive environment has evolved to include a substantial presence from non-gaming sectors, as social platforms and e-commerce entities now account for 31% to 49% of ad impressions across major genres. While advertising provides a reliable revenue floor, data confirms that pure ad-only models are increasingly insufficient for maximizing profitability. Instead, top-tier publishers are shifting toward hybrid strategies that integrate in-app purchases with ad monetization. This approach allows developers to capture value from non-spending users while simultaneously protecting the experience of high-value segments.

Success in the current market requires navigating stark geographic disparities and the rise of emerging platforms like Roblox. Hybridcasual titles have emerged as a critical growth segment, leveraging deep engagement and precise audience segmentation to outperform traditional models. Ultimately, the industry is moving toward a sophisticated equilibrium where advertising serves as a strategic tool for user retention and monetization, rather than a standalone revenue stream. Publishers that fail to adopt these nuanced, hybrid monetization frameworks risk losing ground in an increasingly consolidated and competitive global landscape.

The snapshot presents a mid‑year overview of mobile gaming advertising activity, emphasizing the scale of creative assets, audience composition, and platform performance in the second quarter of 2025. Leveraging MarketIQ’s ad‑intelligence engine, which indexes more than three billion ads, the analysis groups campaigns by image, video, and playable formats to surface benchmark performance and creative inspiration for marketers. A core finding is the gender split of the active audience, with males accounting for roughly 61 % and females 38.5 %, while an insignificant 0.8 % remain unclassified. Google Ads dominates the network landscape, followed by Facebook Ads, reflecting the primary channels through which gaming promotions are delivered.

Creative trends highlighted include senior‑focused Mahjong titles, free‑to‑play shooters, and swipe‑based games, illustrating a diversification of themes and monetisation cues such as “No Wifi Needed” and “Get Free Robux.” Campaign metrics reveal a typical lifecycle of 13 million impressions expanding to 47 million, underscoring the rapid scaling potential of high‑performing assets. The data set draws from approximately 250 000 active campaign ads, providing a robust sample for benchmarking.

Overall, the snapshot underscores the importance of data‑driven creative optimisation in mobile gaming, recommending that advertisers exploit MarketIQ’s extensive repository to identify top‑performing formats, refine copy, and align with the prevailing gender distribution and platform preferences observed in Q2 2025.

The analysis tracks mobile‑gaming dynamics from 2022 through 2024, arguing that the sector’s financial expansion now exceeds its ability to attract new users. Revenue on Google Play rose roughly 10 % year‑on‑year in 2023‑24 while download volumes stagnated or slipped slightly, and iOS revenue grew about 12 % against an 8 % rise in downloads. Despite this divergence, the concentration of earnings among the top ten publishers has held steady, indicating that market power remains entrenched even as overall spend accelerates.

Consumer‑device preferences reveal a near‑universal reliance on smartphones, with 97 % of Brazilian gamers using mobile phones in 2024 and personal PCs ranking as the only other significant platform; console usage is negligible. Across the United States and Brazil, the primary incentives for trying a new title are free‑to‑play pricing, recognizable brands or characters, and easy access through subscription services. Gender nuances appear modest: men place greater value on non‑pay‑to‑win structures and strong single‑player experiences, whereas women are drawn to customizable avatars and peer recommendations.

Behavioral data show a pronounced tendency toward deep engagement with a single game. Approximately half of respondents in Brazil, Germany, Japan and the United States report completing one title before moving to the next, suggesting that the market favors sustained, title‑centric play rather than rapid turnover. The findings collectively underscore a maturing mobile‑gaming ecosystem where revenue growth is driven by monetisation depth and brand loyalty rather than sheer user acquisition.

Rewarded Returns explores the evolution of reward-based user acquisition (UA) from its origins as a controversial incentivized traffic tactic to a sophisticated, data-driven pillar of modern mobile game marketing. The primary thesis is that technological advancements and deeper reward structures have effectively addressed legacy concerns regarding fraud and user quality, positioning rewarded UA as a high-performance alternative to traditional channels in an increasingly challenging privacy-centric landscape.

The findings are based on a late 2024 survey of 502 mobile game developers in the United States and United Kingdom, primarily representing mid-sized companies with 50 to 100 employees. While 64% of respondents characterize the current UA environment as challenging due to privacy rules and high costs, 77% have already integrated reward-based campaigns into their strategies. Among these adopters, 82% report that rewarded campaigns outperform traditional UA, and 95% believe these strategies provide a distinct competitive advantage. Furthermore, 79% of developers observe stronger long-term retention from rewarded users compared to non-rewarded sources.

The study identifies a significant shift in perception, noting that fraud concerns for rewarded UA (47%) are now nearly identical to those for traditional channels (46%). Despite these lingering concerns, 59% of current users plan to expand their rewarded UA budgets in 2025. Among non-adopters, 62% express concern about falling behind competitors, and 43% intend to adopt the strategy in the coming year.

Looking ahead, the scope of the industry is expected to expand, with 90% of experienced developers predicting that reward-based mechanisms will move beyond mobile and web into console gaming. The conclusion emphasizes that as the industry moves toward 2025, real-world rewards—particularly cash and gift cards—are becoming a fundamental discovery and engagement mechanism rather than a mere experimental tactic.

The modern gaming landscape in the United States has evolved into a diverse, cross-generational ecosystem that fundamentally challenges outdated stereotypes of the solitary, young male player. Current data indicates that today’s gaming population is characterized by middle-to-high-income individuals who prioritize quality, convenience, and social connectivity. Far from being sedentary, these consumers frequently integrate digital play with active, outdoor lifestyles, sports participation, and family-oriented activities. This shift reflects a broader demographic reality where gaming serves as a primary form of entertainment across all age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Consumer behavior within this segment extends well beyond the digital realm, as gamers demonstrate significant purchasing power and a strong affinity for premium brands, casual dining, and higher education. Analysis reveals a consistent tendency for these audiences to over-index on online shopping and delivery services, favoring mainstream, value-oriented brands across the retail and fitness sectors. These habits suggest that gaming is not an isolated hobby but a central component of a lifestyle defined by convenience and digital-physical integration.

Segmentation reveals distinct behavioral patterns that allow for more nuanced marketing strategies. For instance, sports-oriented gamers gravitate toward fast-food and convenience-driven brands, whereas those who favor board, puzzle, and trivia games tend to be older, more education-focused, and financially prudent. By moving past monolithic industry tropes, advertisers can leverage these granular insights to execute more precise, data-driven campaigns. Ultimately, the gaming audience represents a highly active, diverse, and economically influential consumer base that requires sophisticated engagement strategies tailored to specific lifestyle personas rather than generalized assumptions.

The report examines Generation Z (born 1997 and later) as the newest cohort of mobile gamers, highlighting their purchasing power, digital habits, and advertising preferences. Surveying 7,103 U.S. respondents aged 18‑24 on the Tapjoy network in February 2021, it finds that 86 % of Gen Z use mobile devices for gaming, far exceeding console (42 %) and PC (38 %) usage. Nearly one‑quarter first owned a smartphone before age 10, and 49 % replace devices every two to three years. Mobile shopping dominates their retail behavior: 68 % shop on phones one to four times per week, with 60 % ordering food delivery and 57 % making retail purchases. Preferred purchase channels include branded apps, e‑commerce storefronts, rewarded offers in games, and Instagram ads.

Advertising engagement shows a strong preference for rewarded mobile game ads (61 % enjoy offerwalls) and short, creative content such as memes (50.4 %) and humor‑driven brand posts (57 % value humor). Traditional formats—banner ads, non‑skippable videos, and celebrity endorsements—are largely ineffective. Gen Z follows brands that align with their values; 52 % discover new products via social media, and 67 % follow brands for product interest. The methodology involved opt‑in participation with age verification, automatic reward distribution, and a geographically targeted U.S. sample.

Overall, the findings portray Gen Z as highly engaged mobile gamers with significant discretionary spending, a preference for value‑based advertising, and a strong inclination toward brands that reflect their social and environmental values.

The mobile advertising landscape in the third quarter of 2023 reveals a shifting environment characterized by a decline in total advertisers but a significant surge in video-centric content. Data indicates that the total number of advertisers fell to 54,900, a 7% year-over-year decrease compared to the 59,000 recorded in the third quarter of 2022. Despite this overall contraction, the gaming, entertainment, and lifestyle verticals maintained upward momentum in advertiser activity. In the United States specifically, the market saw 4.68 billion downloads and $6.5 billion in revenue, with gaming securing the top position in both metrics despite slight year-over-year market drops.

Creative strategies have pivoted heavily toward video formats, which now account for 80% of all creatives, up from 69% in the previous quarter. This growth comes at the expense of static images, while playable ads remain a niche segment at 2% of the market. Analysis of the 15.2 million total creatives shows a heavy platform bias toward Android, which hosts 68% of ad content compared to 32% on iOS. In the competitive US market, top-tier advertisers maintain a massive scale, averaging nearly 54,000 creatives across nine different ad networks.

The rise of User-Generated Content (UGC) has become a central pillar of modern mobile UA strategy. Effective creative execution now relies on organic trends, charismatic creators, and native storytelling techniques. Key findings suggest that successful UGC ads utilize "problem-solution" narratives, text overlays to accommodate sound-off viewing, and sketches that align with brand values. By leveraging creators who mirror the target audience and utilizing cliffhangers or popular music, advertisers are increasingly focusing on engagement and virality to offset the broader downward trend in the number of active market participants.