Anzu.io report: 70% gamers are positive or neutral towards in-game advertising

Cristina Blanaru Business, Digital & Media, Gaming, Studies

7 in 10 gamers in the US are positive or neutral towards in-game advertising, with 50% of gamers aged between 25-44 saying it enhances the gaming experience. That’s according to new research released by Anzu, the world’s most advanced in-game advertising platform.

The study, which includes contributions from games market insights and analytics company Newzoo, was conducted to inform advertisers’ decisions around their approach to gaming, to paint a picture of what the current US gamer audience looks like, and how their attitudes towards seeing ads in their favorite game titles are changing.

With the US gaming market generating an estimated $36.9 billion in annual revenue and a forecasted 179.6 million monthly US gamers in 2022, it has become the second-largest gaming market worldwide, with only China surpassing it.

The surge in popularity of gaming has led many US brands to extend their advertising into games to capitalize on the vast opportunities this growing medium has to offer. In-game advertising provides a link between advertisers, game developers, and their final end-user – gamers – to reach this enormous audience where they spend the majority of their downtime.

Key findings from US gamers include:

  • 50% of US gamers say it’s important to see their favorite brands in games
  • 3 in 5 (63%) of Americans increased gaming during the pandemic, with 2 in 5 (41%) expecting to continue the same amount of gaming post-pandemic
  • Over two-thirds of US gamers would welcome more advertising into their games
  • Mobile remains most popular (78%), but console (57%) and PC (54%) are catching up
  • 55% of people in the US who play games ‘most definitely’ identify as gamers

“Gaming is quickly falling onto the radar for many advertisers in the US,” says Matt Jablon, Sales Director US (West Coast) at Anzu. “Knowing your audience is of utmost importance, so this report will be key to advertisers wanting to know more about the opinions and priorities of US gamers and the most effective methods to engage with them going forward.”

Anzu is the most advanced in-game ad solution for mobile, PC, console, and Roblox. Anzu’s in-game ads put players first and help advertisers reach audiences programmatically in a non-disruptive and highly engaging way. A patented 3D ad tracking engine, the first to bring viewability measurement in-game with Oracle Moat, and partnerships with trusted AdTech vendors make Anzu the preferred in-game advertising partner for advertisers worldwide.

Anzu helps game developers monetize their titles with ad placements that complement the gameplay, resulting in reliable revenue streams. The sole officially licensed in-game ad provider for Xbox, the first ad platform to become Unity verified, and with a self-serve dashboard that provides complete control over ad placements, Anzu is the preferred in-game ad monetization partner for developers worldwide.

Backed by WPP, Sony Innovation Fund, NBCUniversal, HTC, Bitkraft, and other prominent investors, Anzu has raised $37M to make advertising in games better. Better for brands, better for game developers, and better for gamers.