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The average US adult will spend more than 8 hours per day on digital media this year, with about half of that time spent on mobile devices and more than a quarter on CTV.鈥�

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why gaming is a digital advertising hotbed, how consumers are embracing shoppable media, and what happens now that the ride-sharing industry has bounced back. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood.

US adults will spend 10.6% of their mobile time playing games this year, per our forecast. But we expect just 3.9% of US mobile ad spend will go to the category in 2023.

The average US adult spends just over an hour playing video games per day, according to our estimates. Such a sizable share of attention offers a prime opportunity for brands to advertise in games鈥攅specially since traditional barriers to brand advertising have been lowered. Big changes have opened opportunities for brands across platforms.

The news: Roblox debuted a licensing platform in collaboration with companies like Netflix and Lionsgate to give IP rights holders the ability to partner with Roblox creators. Launched on Tuesday, the platform allows brands to connect with Roblox creators and set parameters for use of their IP. Launch partners include Netflix, LionsGate, and Sega, offering access to IP like 鈥淪quid Game,鈥� 鈥淪tranger Things,鈥� 鈥淪aw,鈥� 鈥淭wilight,鈥� 鈥淒ivergent,鈥� and more. Our take: Roblox鈥檚 move could give the platform a better chance of achieving its 10% goal鈥攂ut success hinges on whether the licensing platform can enhance, rather than interrupt, the gamer experience.

Consumer tech spending expected to reach record $537 billion in 2025鈥攗nless tariffs get in the way: The need to replace pandemic-era purchases and interest in AI-powered features will spur demand, assuming prices stay steady.

The news: Ad quality has a big impact on whether gamers will stay in the game or walk away from a session. Over half (52%) of gamers in the US, the UK, Germany, and Japan would quit playing if they encountered multiple disruptive ad features, per Deloitte鈥檚 Quality Drives Value: A Look into Mobile Gaming Ads survey. Our take: Prioritizing features like rewards and skip options can help players feel in control and properly compensated for their time, helping mobile gamers to stay engaged, click through, and return. Poorly timed or deceptive ads, on the other hand, risk alienating gamers and increasing churn.

Gaming offers a long runway of opportunity for advertisers. In 2025, US digital gamers will spend nearly as much time playing as social network users spend on social platforms each day (1 hour, 48 minutes versus 1 hour, 51 minutes, respectively). But at $8.76 billion, US gaming ad revenues will account for just a fraction of the $102.66 billion that social networks garner in ad spending.

Digital gaming is popular across generations. But Gen Zers and millennials are more likely to game on multiple platforms, seek community around the hobby, and pass the habit on to their children.

On April 9, Former Meta policy executive Sarah Wynn-Williams told a US Senate subcommittee that the tech company actively targeted teens based on their emotional state. 23% of 13-24-year-olds spend their screen time gaming, followed by 21% who spend it with online video, according to a January 2025 HubResearch Report.

Netflix wants to turn your TV into a game console: By ditching AAA ambitions and betting on casual, connected TV games controlled by phones, Netflix is playing the long game to capture Gen Z gamers.

AppLovin beat Q1 expectations and exited gaming: The company is now all-in on adtech, led by AXON鈥檚 rapid growth.

US adults will spend 7 more minutes per day with media in 2024 than they did in 2023, confounding expectations of a post-pandemic reduction in screen and audio time.

Cloud gaming expansion is in the works and could sustain user engagement amid content strikes.