IAB PlayFronts highlights gaming’s unique value proposition for advertisers

Article by Marisa Jones  | Apr 1, 2025
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IAB PlayFronts highlights gaming’s unique value proposition for advertisers
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Topics
Video Games
Mobile Games
Digital Ad Spending
United States

The news: IAB’s 2025 gaming PlayFronts event emphasized that brands can no longer afford to avoid gaming, highlighting gaming’s value as a critical advertising channel.

  • 32.5 billion gaming hours were streamed in 2024, yet gaming accounts for less than 5% of digital ad spend, stated keynote speaker Zoe Soon.
  • Platforms like Discord highlighted their value proposition for advertisers. Of the platform’s 200 million monthly active users, 93% played a game within the past month, and Discord sees 1.5 billion hours of gameplay monthly. The platform is especially popular among younger generations who represent key sources of buyer growth—up to 95% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha identify as gamers.