Sensor Tower’s inaugural ad monetization report reveals a $12 billion market for mobile game advertising in 2025, anchored by 2.4 trillion observed impressions. While gaming advertisers account for 72% of this revenue, non-gaming demand—particularly from finance and e-commerce—is increasingly significant. Puzzle games emerge as the primary driver of ad revenue due to their broad, ad-tolerant audiences and frequent, short-session gameplay loops. Data indicates that IAP-focused hybrid games currently outperform ad-first hybrid models by a factor of four, suggesting that integrating ads into established IAP-heavy economies remains a more effective strategy than pure ad-monetization. AppLovin and Google maintain a combined market share of approximately 65%, with AppLovin demonstrating the most significant growth. These insights, provided by Sensor Tower’s lead gaming insights analyst, highlight a shifting landscape where casual gameplay mechanics increasingly align with diversified monetization strategies.
Sign in to continue reading, translating and more.
Open full episode in Podwise