Roblox launches rewarded ad format, partners with Google for programmatic buying

Roblox is expanding its programmatic ad offering through a new integration with Google Ad Manager, the gaming company announced today. Google Ad Manager, the search giant’s sell-side programmatic ad platform that facilitates digital ad sales between advertisers and publishers, will begin selling inventory for Roblox’s new Rewarded Video Ads, also announced today, before expanding to include image and video ads (which are now called “Billboards”) in the coming months. Rewarded Video Ads will allow brands to show players a 30-second, fullscreen video amid their gaming experiences in exchange for in-game rewards such as power-ups and Robux, the platform’s currency. This offering is Roblox’s latest ad format that reaches players within virtual worlds. The announcements, made today during IAB PlayFronts—the annual advertising and gaming showcase—come as Roblox continues to court brands through new advertising features. Late last year, the platform started selling physical items in its virtual worlds through partnerships with Walmart and Shopify. These integrations are part of a larger strategy to make brand and creator monetization a central aspect of its business. Meanwhile, Google is significantly expanding the inventory of gaming ads it can sell by bringing Roblox into its ecosystem. The search giant has recently focused on expanding its inventory to include more video options, which it has enabled in both Google Ad Manager and AdMob, its advertising platform for mobile apps. Read more: Discord’s approach at IAB PlayFronts Roblox first opened a programmatic option for advertisers a year ago, partnering with supply-side platform PubMatic to service in-game video ads. However, Google Ad Manager is a far larger programmatic platform—90% of online publishers use it to sell their ad inventory, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Google could drive more brands to Roblox’s offerings since they will soon be able to purchase them in their go-to marketplace, the demand-side platform Display and Video 360, a Google spokesperson confirmed. Brands will also have the option to purchase Rewarded Video Ads directly from Roblox. Google Ads Manager will begin servicing the new Rewarded Video Ad format in the coming weeks, and will expand to include Roblox’s Billboard ads, which place images and videos on in-game billboards, in the coming months. Portal ads, which promote branded worlds and transport users to them when entered, are not currently planned to be a part of the integration. Rewarded ads are a common ad format for gaming-related environments, but this is the first time Roblox is exploring how they can be used in its ecosystem. Players will be prompted with a pop-up querying them to accept or decline a 30-second video ad in exchange for a reward. When accepted, the video will expand to fill the player’s entire screen. Roblox has tested Rewarded Video Ads for several months across dozens of campaigns, although the platform declined to share the names of the early testers. These preliminary placements saw an average completion rate of more than 80%, according to data shared by Roblox. Also at PlayFronts, Roblox announced new integrations with measurement providers, including new partners and expansions to pre-existing partnerships with IAS and Kantar. DoubleVerify and IAS will help to assess media quality and performance; Cint, a survey marketplace, will curate studies on brand awareness; Kantar will measure campaign performance on brand equity; and Nielsen will enable cross-platform campaign measurement. Advertisers will also be able to use measurement tools offered through Google Ad Manager.

Roblox launches rewarded ad format, partners with Google for programmatic buying

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