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More than just a cloud leader: Microsoft ad revenues surged 21%, gaming stabilized, and LinkedIn grew, too.

Gaming audiences are a powerful force in back-to-school shopping, influencing both digital and in-store purchases. Activision Blizzard Media鈥檚 latest research reveals how this often-overlooked group鈥攎any of them parents鈥攁re planning early, spending big, and responding to mobile-first ads.

Scopely鈥檚 $3.5 billion acquisition of Niantic鈥檚 games division strengthens its position in mobile gaming. Pok茅mon Go鈥檚 live-service model opens new revenue streams through in-game advertising, branded integrations, and sponsorships.

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.

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.

The bulk of AppLovin鈥檚 revenues has traditionally come from its advertising software business. In Q4 2024, the company generated about 73% of its revenues ($999 million) from ad placements, mediation fees, and programmatic ad bidding through its proprietary platforms.

Gen Zers and millennials have normalized gaming into adulthood, but smartphones have opened the door for older generations.

YouTube has more users than Facebook, Netflix, or Spotify. But its advertising revenues do not match its vast reach. This report contextualizes the opportunities and scope for growth in various media spheres.

With physical sales fading and subscription interest rising, smart in-game ads offer consistent revenues without alienating players.

Why 鈥淢inecraft鈥� is succeeding: The movie is based on the best-selling video game of all time, meaning it has a larger鈥攁nd more family-friendly鈥攁udience than other video game adaptations. However, a significant reason behind the success of 鈥淎 Minecraft Movie鈥� is the film鈥檚 massive marketing push, studded by an array of high-profile collaborations and immersive brand tie-ins.

This is the first installment of our biannual 鈥淯K Ad Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

NetEase lays off Marvel Rivals鈥� US-based team despite record success: The shooter hit 20 million downloads and $136M in revenue, representing broader industry volatility.

This is the second installment of our quarterly 鈥淎d Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

How can in-game ad buyers calibrate their ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how can publishers and solution providers assess whether their ad revenues are in line with industry trends?

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�

In-game advertising will maintain solid growth over the next few years, but its share of digital ad spending will decline, despite heightened brand interest.

The platform generated $8.9 billion in ad revenues in Q3, its second-best quarter ever. From Q4 2023 to Q3 2024, YouTube's revenues from advertising and subscriptions exceeded $50 billion for the first time; for context, Netflix might be growing faster, but its own annual revenues for that timeframe were a 鈥渕ere鈥� $37.6 billion.

As publishers battle declining revenues, deals with AI firms like OpenAI and Perplexity provide new income streams鈥攁nd a seat at the table in shaping the industry鈥檚 future.

AppLovin's Axon engine drives ad success: Its AI-powered product boosted software platform revenues by 66% year over year.