The news: PubMatic and Zynga partnered to link the mobile game plusher’s first-party player data and audience network with PubMatic’s media-activation platform to open programmatic buying workflows enhanced by AI and automated analytic insights.

PubMatic and MediaPost said the integration represents an effort to reduce the friction associated with buying in-game ads, making it more straightforward for brand marketers to reach mobile players at scale. “Mobile gaming audiences are among the most engaged in digital media, yet buyers have lacked the tools to reach them with the creative quality and performance outcomes the channel deserves,” said Pubmatic’s vice president of mobile Lashanne Phang.

Zooming out: The broader mobile gaming landscape represents a highly engaged consumer segment that remains underutilized by brand advertisers.

According to a global report from AppsFlyer, user acquisition spend for gaming apps reached $25 billion in 2025. The worldwide gaming ecosystem encompasses 3.4 billion active players but captures less than 5% of global digital media spend.

EMARKETER forecast a total US digital ad spend of $407.9 billion this year, of which mobile gaming ad spend is $8.28 billion, accounting for 2%. In addition, time spent with gaming is similar to social video in the US, per EMARKETER forecasts, but gaming accounts for only one-tenth of the ad spending per minute.

Why it matters: Despite high daily consumer engagement, there is a mismatch between consumer time spent and media allocation. To bridge this divide, PubMatic and Zynga are introducing capabilities designed to lower technical barriers and align gaming inventory with standard digital buying channels. To provide reliable access to premium inventory, PubMatic’s OpenWrap SDK is embedded directly into Zynga’s technology stack to establish an efficient path to the player network.

To address performance metrics, interactive formats can deploy shoppable ads that drive direct consumer action.

Implications for marketers and advertisers: Mobile gaming provides an avenue to reach attentive audiences outside of social media platforms. To evaluate this channel based on emerging capabilities, marketers might consider:

• Allocating a portion of experimental budgets to programmatic gaming inventory to help benchmark performance and brand lift against traditional display or CTV campaigns.
• Partnering with publishers that offer direct first-party data integrations to improve targeting precision.
• Prioritizing formats such as rewarded video and native in-game banners which may help preserve the player experience while maintaining high attention levels.