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Gaming in Canada has developed into an important advertising opportunity as audiences grow and in-game ads gain traction with mobile users.

The news: Fanatics launched Fanatics Advertising, a division that will oversee the company鈥檚 ad and brand partnership strategy across its commerce, collectibles, gaming, and events businesses. Our take: Fanatics is taking its swing at the fast-growing commerce media space. Commerce media represented 18.0% of US digital ad spending last year, and we expect its share to keep climbing鈥攈itting nearly $1 of every $5 spent on digital ads (19.7%) this year and close to $1 in $4 (24.8%) by 2029, the end of our forecast period. Sitting at the crossroads of sports fandom鈥攎erchandise, collectibles, betting, and live events鈥擣anatics has a brand position few, if any, rivals can match. If it executes well, Fanatics Advertising could be a home run by turning its unmatched access to fans into an equally powerful ad play.

This report compares our 2025 US ad spending and time spent with media forecasts. It identifies incongruities between how marketers are spending ad dollars and where consumers are spending their time.

Amid dizzying policy unpredictability and a grab bag of unpleasant economic possibilities, precise ad spend forecasting is challenging. A scenarios-based approach can help clarify potential outcomes.

The news: Despite its massive reach, gaming still accounts for less than 5% of worldwide media investment, per Dentsu鈥檚 2025 Gaming Trends report鈥攊ndicating a disparity between where audiences spend their time and where advertisers invest. Our take: Concerns about brand safety with in-game advertising linger, but brands that are willing to take the risk stand to gain through an approach that considers that simply investing in the format isn鈥檛 enough to drive results.

Gaming content (moderate disruption). Key market dynamics. YouTube is an increasingly influential鈥攂ut ultimately adjacent鈥攄igital gaming channel. It isn鈥檛 necessarily disrupting gaming advertising, but brands setting ads against gaming-related content are likely attracted to YouTube thanks to its growing audiences. YouTube trails Twitch for livestreaming content.

Data exploring South Korea鈥檚 mobile-first lifestyles, ecommerce growth, and rapid AI adoption highlights key shifts in retail, social media, gaming, and more. This deck provides a collection of the most relevant information about:. South Korea鈥檚 mobile-first consumer behavior and ecommerce growth. The rise of AI, entertainment, and gaming as digital accelerators.

Xbox hits 500M MAUs and $5 billion Game Pass run rate: Franchise power and console loyalty fuel Microsoft鈥檚 gaming momentum.

That includes once-overlooked areas of the mobile ad market, such as the gaming ecosystem. AppLovin will not be the only company to benefit from the dissolution of mobile ad buying silos. If AppLovin succeeds in bringing ecommerce advertisers into gaming and expanding into web ads, they鈥檒l probably take a look at other advertising categories.

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.

Netflix's Q2 2025 earnings results came in at $11.1 billion in total revenues. The company鈥檚 shift away from reporting net subscriber growth now places investor focus squarely on margins, ad performance, and global monetization. While churn remains low and its brand strong, Netflix faces growing competition from YouTube and TikTok for user screen time. With hit content, live sports, and gaming on deck, the streaming giant鈥檚 next act will test its ability to monetize an already massive user base while retaining cultural dominance. For Netflix, growth now means doing more with what it already has.

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.

Samsung Ads has launched Mobile Conversion, a new tool designed to drive mobile app installs by linking CTV ad exposure to in-app behavior. Using AI, real-time engagement signals, and partnerships with attribution platforms like AppsFlyer and Adjust, Samsung enables advertisers to target high-intent users and dynamically optimize campaigns. Early results show up to 150% gains in Day 7 ROAS. The product leverages Samsung鈥檚 massive device footprint and runs on premium inventory, including Samsung TV Plus. While starting with gaming, Mobile Conversion will soon extend to verticals like retail and finance鈥攎aking CTV a legitimate player in the performance marketing toolkit.

The news: Fortnite-maker Epic Games settled its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung, ending claims that Samsung and Google blocked rival app stores, per Bloomberg. Epic had accused Samsung鈥檚 鈥淎uto Blocker鈥� of preventing third-party app store downloads, alleging collusion with Google. Samsung and Google previously denied wrongdoing, calling Epic鈥檚 claims 鈥渂aseless鈥� and 鈥渕eritless.鈥� Our take: With Epic鈥檚 continued disruption of app store ecosystems, marketers should prepare for a fragmented but freer market鈥攁lternative app stores allow more control over promotions, subscriptions, and bundled offerings.

By aggregating millions of data signals from its ad mediation and gaming platforms, AppLovin has built a powerful ML framework that strengthens targeting and campaign optimization. Its closed-loop attribution system lets advertisers track conversions in real time, measure impact more effectively, and refine their strategies for better ad spend efficiency. What challenges does AppLovin face?

Ad spend is tightening due to economic uncertainty, including tariff anxieties. Independent proof of ad performance and potential returns could be a tipping point for broader brand adoption. What鈥檚 next?

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