Google is getting deeper into gaming.
The ad giant is partnering with the gaming platform Roblox in a deal that will let advertisers more easily buy Roblox gaming inventory, the companies announced Tuesday ahead of the IAB PlayFronts, an annual industry event centered on highlighting advertising opportunities in gaming.
More specifically, Roblox is bringing its inventory to Google’s ad-buying platforms. Google will also handle the gaming platform’s programmatic inventory, although Roblox will still maintain a direct-sales team.
“This partnership allows us to scale to meet the demand that we both feel and see regularly out there,” Stephanie Latham, VP of global brand partnerships and advertising at Roblox, said during a press roundtable ahead of the announcement.
So what? Advertisers know gaming is a lucrative business—in-game advertising is expected to bring in $11.5 billion annually by 2028, according to eMarketer—but they haven’t always found ways to easily make inroads into the medium.
Roblox has considerable scale, currently claiming 85 million daily active users, with more than 61% of them 13 years old or older. Latham said that users tend to spend a lot of time on the platform, making it an ideal place for advertisers.
“We have the privilege of having these users for almost two and a half hours every day, and the ability you have to tell stories and tell stories in an immersive environment is so much greater than just a few-second scroll,” she said.
More to come: In addition to the Roblox announcement, Google also rolled out “immersible” ads, which can be seamlessly placed within video game environments, like 3D billboards, Scott Sheffer, Google’s VP of global partnerships, sell-side monetization, said—just one more way platforms are looking for noninterruptive ways to reach consumers.
“Gamers are entrenched and immersed in the worlds that publishers and app developers create, and therefore, it’s really critical that ads don’t detract from that experience,” Sheffer said.
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