Mobile Ad Monetization #7

2025 is the year of the app developer. 🤔Who’s Being Downloaded the Most?🤔 40-50% of all downloads on Mobile are paid. That’s just a fact. Here are the mobile games companies that have amazed the most downloads in the last 30 days. What’s nuts is that the large non-mega-app companies are gaining serious traction in absolute download terms. I keep hearing anecdotes about more and more developers shifting their focus to developing apps instead of games. Will 2025 be the year of the app? Azur Interactive Games - 96m DownloadsSayGames - 78m DownloadsSupersonic - 76m DownloadsVoodoo - 70m DownloadsMiniclip - 66m DownloadsEmbracer - 62m DownloadsiKame - 59m DownloadsOutfit7 - 57m DownloadsTencent - 55m DownloadsBabybus Group - 47m Downloads But what about App Companies? I’ve excluded the normal e-commerce and social media giant apps to show you the largest app companies […]

Felix Braberg January 21

Journal

Mobile Ad Monetization #6

After a long hiatus the best Mobile Ad Monetization Newsletter in the world is back... and this time it will keep coming back.. Once a week! Promise. 🥇Block Blast! The Next Largest Mobile Game Publisher?🥇 Block Blast! is on the road to becoming the largest mobile publisher app in the world. On December 20th it looks like Block Blast! for the first time whizzed passed the second-largest mobile game publisher “8 Ball Pool” by Miniclip. Block Blast! is firing on all cylinders and has been downloaded 28.2 Million downloads in the last 30 days and has a DAU of 13 Million users compared to 8 Ball Pool’s 12 Million DAU. I estimate that Block Blast! is earning anywhere between $800k-1.1m a day in ad revenue. 🤯 The largest mobile game publisher remains “Subway Surfers” by Sybo (also owned by Miniclip) […]

Felix Braberg January 16

Journal

Ad Monetization in Match-3 Games

🎯 Ad Monetization in Match-3 Games: the Kings of SegmentationMatch-3 games are a cornerstone of mobile gaming, they’re known for their massive IAP revenues. But what’s less talked about is that Match-3 games also monetize with ads. Ad Monetization in Match-3 can be broken down into 3 main categories:1️⃣ Segmented by IAPs- Unified FTUE: All users experience the same onboarding and early gameplay.- IAP Purchase Window: Tracks when most users make their first purchase. If no purchases occur within the purchase window, Rewarded Video (RV) ads unlock economic value for players2️⃣ Segmented by GEO- Certain geos are less likely to yield IAP revenue and instead focus on ad-based monetization.- Ads unlock after FTUE in geos with a low likelihood of IAPs, primarily through RV and interstitial placements.- Example: Candy Crush, rumored to generate $750M/year from ads.3️⃣ No Ads- Some large […]

Felix Braberg January 13

Journal

Exploring the Mobile Mediation Market

I recently took a deep dive into the world of mobile mediation platforms and shared insights on how developers can maximize ad revenue. Here’s an overview of what I covered:📜 The Evolution of Mobile Mediation:Back in 2008, the App Store revolutionized app distribution, but discoverability quickly became a problem. Early on, featured placements by Apple or Google were the only ways to guarantee downloads. As the app ecosystem exploded, it was clear this wasn’t scalable. Enter Admob in 2009, bringing ads into apps, which transformed how developers monetized and acquired users. Mediation platforms emerged as the marketplace for networks to bid on inventory, ensuring publishers got the best price. Today, mediation platforms like Admob, Unity Level Play, and Applovin MAX are essential for any developer.💰 What You Get Paid for Ads:Ad revenue boils down to two key metrics: eCPM (Effective […]

Felix Braberg January 9

Journal

Blossom Sort by Zeromaze: $60K/Day

🌸 Blossom Sort by Zeromaze: $60K/Day with Just 20K Downloads 🤑 🌼 Blossom Sort has taken a fresh approach to the sort puzzle genre and is making in $60K IAP + $20k IAA daily. With only 20K downloads a day, it’s clear this game is the latest puzzle game that has cracked some clever design and monetization strategies. 🌼 1. Relaxed Sorting Mechanics ☺️ Unlike traditional sort puzzles, Blossom Sort allows players to move flowers freely, even to different types. This makes the gameplay more relaxing and less punishing, with fail states tied to time or space rather than rigid rules.2. Metagame Excellence 👑 The game borrows the Royal Match playbook, combining short events, visual decoration progress, and a collectible album. These tried-and-true progression mechanics are now the gold standard in casual games.3. Dual Core Gameplay ⭐ After level 30, […]

Felix Braberg January 3

Journal

Cross-Promotion for Mobile Games That Works

💫 Cross-Promotion for Mobile Games That Actually Works 🎮💡 Cross-promotion has been pitched as the "fix-all" for mobile UA post-IDFA and a big reason behind industry consolidation. But here’s the reality — I’ve never met a developer who says, “Yeah, we’ve nailed cross-promotion.”We invited Gonçalo from BoomBit — a studio that’s managed to scale cross-promotion into something meaningful. Cross-promotion now generates 13% of BoomBit's profits. Here’s what you need to know:🚀 When it works best: During the pre-scaling (to help with early profitability) and sunset phases (to help elongate a game's lifecycle.🎯 How to do it right: Cross-promotion needs to be done via a standalone ad unit, not embedded in your mediation stack.📱 What drives installs: The most effective format is an optional games menu (shown below) where users browse other games. At BoomBit, this menu drives 85% of cross-promotion […]

Felix Braberg December 17

Journal

Colorwood & Playdoku by Burny Games: Ad Revenue Powerhouses

🎮 Colorwood & Playdoku by Burny Games: Ad Revenue Powerhouses! 🧩 Burny Games is making waves in the mobile puzzle space, with Colorwood & Playdoku generating over $140K/day in ad revenue! 🤑 Colorwood alone generates over 100K downloads a day and continues to grow. We did a live review of both games with Burny Games CEO, Anatolii Henis to get a deeper understanding of the game's UA, Ad Monetization, and Game Design. 👉Simple GameplayBoth games focus on core gameplay with minimal metagame layers. Colorwood, is an innovative twist on the water sort genre, swapping liquids for bricks 🧱this unlocks new mechanics, and differentiates Colorwood in a crowded market. Playdoku takes block puzzles to the next level by seamlessly integrating “training your brain” 🧠 concepts that we’ve seen as behind Impulse’s amazing growth. Levels take between 60-90 seconds to complete making […]

Felix Braberg November 28

Journal

What Does Take-Two’s Potential Sale of Chartboost Mean for Mobile Mediation?

What Does Take-Two’s Potential Sale of Chartboost Mean for Mobile Mediation? 🎮💰 The global mobile ad market is driving massive revenue—around $40 million daily, or roughly $14.6 billion annually, from network-to-publisher payments in mobile games and apps. Take-Two Interactive alone reported $613.3 million in ad revenue in 2023, capturing an estimated 4.21% of in-game ad revenue, making Take-Two a major player in mobile advertising. But with rumors of Take-Two selling Chartboost, what impact could this have on the industry? 🤔Why This Matters:Mediation platforms often act as loss leader products, offered at no cost to publishers in exchange for valuable user data that powers networks' UA campaign profits. Take-Two’s games are currently mostly mediated through Chartboost, giving them direct control over ad placements and margins. If Chartboost is sold, Take-Two might shift its portfolio to a third-party platform like AppLovin or […]

Felix Braberg November 12

Journal

Understanding eCPM Averages Could Save You Big in Ad Monetization!

💡 Understanding eCPM Averages Could Save You Big in Ad Monetization! In our latest review on two & a half gamers, we looked at My Supermarket Simulator 3D by Game District and highlighted a key ad monetization insight: Game District chose Google’s App Open Ad format over a simple interstitial with a small reward. Based on eCPM benchmarks across main geos, this choice could potentially mean an extra $20-30K per day in ad revenue. 📈💸eCPM rates are influenced by around 90 factors, including competitiveness, CTR, install rate, user location, and active UA spending. Here’s a quick benchmark to estimate your ad revenue potential, assuming a 70/30 IAP to IAA split:🇺🇸 USA:- Rewarded Ads: $30- Interstitials: $15- Google App Open: $1-3- Banners: $0.60-0.90🌍 Tier 1 Geos:- Rewarded Ads: $15-20- Interstitials: $7-12- Google App Open: $0.50-1.5- Banners: $0.28-0.35🌏 Tier 2 Geos:- Rewarded […]

Felix Braberg November 11

Journal

Getting Started with Ad Revenue: Applovin MAX

For the fourth installment of Getting Started with Mobile Ad Revenue, we’ll dive deep into Applovin MAX and its features. Here’s what we’ll cover: Setting up ad units Reading and analyzing data Launching A/B tests As with our previous blog posts on Admob and LevelPlay: We’ll kick off with the pros and cons of using MAX mediation. Pros: Highest eCPM on video inventory Access to AdROAS & Blended ROAS UA campaigns on Applovin Emphasis on Bidders vs. Waterfall, reducing manual work Broad availability of networks Cons: Cross Promo tool will be deprecated; users must transition to Google Ad Manager Applovin’s aggressive video end cards and extended creative lengths may impact retention Getting Started First, apply for MAX access via the Applovin website. Once approved, you’ll receive a confirmation email, and you can log in to your MAX account. Upon your […]

Felix Braberg November 8

Journal

Hexasort by Lion Studios: A $200M/year Hybrid-Casual Giant

💫 Hexasort by Lion Studios: A $200M/year Hybrid-Casual Giant 🧩💥 Since its soft launch in September 2023, Hexasort has scaled to a massive $500K/day ($150K from IAP & $300K from ads). Through three game-changing ad monetization innovations, Lion Studios has transformed this title into a hybrid-casual puzzle powerhouse. Here’s how:Rewarded Ads in Gameplay: 🎁 Strategic placement of rewarded ads on the main game board to help users progress faster.A New Ad Unit – Rewarded App Open Interstitial: 🆕 A clever ad unit that rewards users with extra perks simply for opening the app.User-Ad Experience Segmentation: 🎯 Tailored ad experiences based on specific user acquisition campaigns, personalizing gameplay, and ad exposure.According to Sensor Tower, Hexasort’s players are deeply engaged, averaging 40 minutes daily over nearly 6 sessions. This translates to around 90 banner impressions, 9 interstitials, and 6 rewarded ad opt-ins […]

Felix Braberg October 29

Journal

Getting Started with Ad Revenue: Unity Level Play

Welcome back to the 3rd installment of the Getting Started with Mobile Ad Revenue. After covering Google’s Admob last week this week we deep dive into Unity’s Level Play. Level Play was built by Ironsource which was in turn acquired by Unity in 2022, which now operates the platform. Just like last time we will start with the pros and cons of Unity Level Play then move on to how to set up your apps and how to read and optimize your data. Pros:Best dashboard for data manipulation and data management Good Rewarded Video and interstitial eCPMGreat creative review tool for checking the ads that run in your inventoryIn-house ad placement game designers can give you ad design tips (if you’re large enough)Easy to integrate if you build your game or app in Unity Cons:Banner preformance is frequently higher on other mediation platformsCross-promotion […]

Felix Braberg October 28

Felix Braberg

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