ContactIn 2025, the world’s largest technology and media owners are deeply invested in the gaming space. Microsoft owns game studios, a console platform and adtech. Amazon has its own gaming division, its own adtech, and one of the two major livestreaming platforms. Apple and Google control mobile gaming distribution via app stores. Should Skydance close its acquisition of Paramount Global, it will become the third of the five major film studios, after Sony and Warner Bros, to have a fully functional gaming division.
This shift reflects more than consumer behaviour; it signals the next phase of media infrastructure, and as a result, there is increasing momentum and opportunity recognition from within the advertising community.
According to data owner and research firm Newzoo, 94% of Gen Alpha have played a video game in the last six months, three out of four Gen Z and Gen Alpha gamers have watched others play games, and YouTube is their go-to platform. In 2024, YouTube gaming content saw a 66% year-over-year increase in hours watched. While Twitch still dominates the livestreaming space, accounting for over 20 billion hours watched, YouTube is number one for on-demand gaming content.
YouTube is also the dominant platform for ad recall among preteens, far outpacing TikTok or traditional TV. That means Gen Alpha not only sees contextual ads on YouTube, but they also remember them. Playing video games often leads to exploring YouTube, and vice versa. With that in mind, there is a growing inclination to add video games and peripheral video content to the media plan.
If someone is watching a RadBrad walkthrough of Elden Ring, they’re already primed to see advertising from a competing game, film or television IP, or a gaming-adjacent product or service. For media or consumer brands looking to build multiple touchpoints, in-game advertising offers an even deeper level of immersion. Native, non-disruptive placements integrate advertising within the game's contextual world, reinforcing campaigns already served on YouTube or Twitch. As media buyers build cross-channel plans, the most effective strategies won’t treat gaming, video, and social as separate silos. The most impactful campaigns will show up across touchpoints in the game, around the game, and during commentary about the game.
Campaign success lies in treating video games not as a standalone channel but as part of a broader, integrated ecosystem. From our work with media agencies and in-house brand teams, it's clear that the most effective strategies are those that align creative and format with the context in which the audience is already immersed. When advertising campaigns flow from pre-roll ads into the game itself, through non-disruptive in-game placements, brand recall and other metrics are enhanced. The opportunity, therefore, is to create media plans that reflect how audiences interact with video games across multiple platforms and screens.
