US mobile gaming ad revenues will reach US$6.26 billion in 2022, up 14.0% from US$5.49 billion in 2021, eMarketer noted in its latest report. Looking ahead, the researcher forecasts that mobile gaming will reach US$7.87 billion in ad revenues in 2024, making up a total of 2.5% of all digital ad spend.
Mobile gaming has performed strongly throughout the pandemic, as companies have capitalized on increased time spent on mobile since 2020. In fact, smartphone is by far the most popular device for gaming, allowing advertisers to reach casual gamers who may not be inclined to pay for ad-free platforms.
Last year, overall mobile gaming revenues saw a 34% increase, which shows gaming apps performed well despite Apple's Identifiers for Advertisers (IDFA) changes, as platforms leveraged their own in-app data tools to target ads effectively.
According to eMarketer, gaming presents massive ad opportunities, and media companies have taken notice. For example, Netflix acquired mobile game studio Next Games and mobile game developer Boss Fight Entertainment in an effort to build out mobile gaming and attract Gen Z subscribers.
This could mean big business for in-game advertising platforms, such as Anzu, which recently raised US$20 million from names like NBCUniversal and HTC to reach a total capital of US$37 million, as investors look to capitalize on mobile gaming's ad revenues.