Ad revenue for non-gaming apps more than doubled year-on-year (YoY) in 2024, with the entertainment vertical growing significantly in particular, according to a report from Liftoff.
Between September 2023 and October 2024, ad revenue for non-gaming apps grew 116%. Meanwhile, growth within entertainment apps sat at over 200%, as time spent on these platforms continues to increase alongside the number of vide-streaming and video-sharing apps offering ad-supported tiers.
These developments are also helping to drive impressive growth within emerging markets as well. Mexico and the Philippines grew more than 200% YoY, and Brazil grew 160%.
Elsewhere, retail ad revenue has increased around 200% YoY, thanks to APAC ecommerce players such as Shein and Shopee helping to guide spend away from walled gardens. Interestingly, much of this growth has come from a focus on just two ad formats, with interstitial and rewarded ads making up 95% of ad spend from retail advertisers.
“Ad monetisation is rapidly becoming an indispensable revenue stream for more and more app publishers,” said Tanya Lee, SVP of Monetize at Liftoff. “We’ve seen healthy ad revenue growth for non-gaming publishers on the Vungle Exchange, especially in the entertainment, music, and utilities categories, throughout 2024, and we expect the trend to continue. Publishers who invest the time and resources into developing a robust ad monetisation strategy as an integral part of their UX are paving the way for years of sustainable growth.”
