#122: Is in-game advertising the most undervalued growth engine in marketing?
Tue Feb 03 2026
I clear a puzzle level on my phone. Fireworks flash. A choice appears: watch 30 seconds, earn extra coins. I tap yes. That’s in-game advertising — opt-in, rewarded, seamless.
In this episode, we explore why in-game advertising is becoming a core growth engine. Gaming is a $124B+ industry with 3B players across mobile, PC, console, AR, VR, and cloud. Gen Z attention lives here. Free-to-play models, rewarded video, and dynamic in-game ads are turning brands into part of the experience.
From Roblox and Candy Crush to esports and console programmatic, immersion beats interruption.
Is in-game advertising still experimental — or the next media pillar?
(00:00) Intro
(02:09) The fast-expanding world of games across platforms and geographies
(07:15) What are the drivers behind pushing ads inside games?
(09:08) Who’s winning with in-game advertising? Some real world examples…
(13:20) Why aren’t more brands doing in-game advertising?
(16:04) Which industries are taking advantage of in-game advertising quickly?
(19:56) Looking through the telescope…
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I clear a puzzle level on my phone. Fireworks flash. A choice appears: watch 30 seconds, earn extra coins. I tap yes. That’s in-game advertising — opt-in, rewarded, seamless. In this episode, we explore why in-game advertising is becoming a core growth engine. Gaming is a $124B+ industry with 3B players across mobile, PC, console, AR, VR, and cloud. Gen Z attention lives here. Free-to-play models, rewarded video, and dynamic in-game ads are turning brands into part of the experience. From Roblox and Candy Crush to esports and console programmatic, immersion beats interruption. Is in-game advertising still experimental — or the next media pillar? (00:00) Intro (02:09) The fast-expanding world of games across platforms and geographies (07:15) What are the drivers behind pushing ads inside games? (09:08) Who’s winning with in-game advertising? Some real world examples… (13:20) Why aren’t more brands doing in-game advertising? (16:04) Which industries are taking advantage of in-game advertising quickly? (19:56) Looking through the telescope…