Pixalate, the global market-leading ad fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform, today released the inaugural Global Mobile App Ad Spend Benchmarks Report for open programmatic advertising. The Q1 2024 report provides a detailed analysis of estimated global open programmatic ad spend on mobile apps from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, including breakdowns by IAB categories and subcategories.

Pixalate also released North America, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Latin America (LATAM) versions of the report.

The report offers insights for advertisers evaluating contextual targeting strategies in the global open programmatic supply chain. With the rise of contextual advertising amidst the deprecation of cookies and behavioral targeting, advertisers can use the data and insights from this new report to understand the distribution of advertising spend across different IAB categories and subcategories within specific regions. Advertisers can use the insights to optimize campaigns to reach more relevant audiences within appropriate mobile environments. 

Pixalate’s data science team analyzed over 50 billion open programmatic ad transactions across 5.1 million mobile apps in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in Q1 2024 to compile the research in this series. Pixalate's datasets consist predominantly of buy-side open auction programmatic traffic sources.Key Findings: Q1 2024 Global Mobile App Ad Spend Benchmarks Report

  • $6.2 billion estimated global open programmatic mobile app ad spend in Q1 2024
    • "Video Gaming" IAB app category captured an estimated 65% share of open programmatic ad spend on mobile apps in Q1 2024, representing an estimated $4.1 billion
    • "Video Gaming" led globally and in all four global regions, including North America (69% share of voice), EMEA (72%), LATAM (61%), and APAC (54%)
  • "Sports" category saw increased YoY ad spend by 50% globally
    • North America saw a YoY rise in the "Sports" category of 102%
    • "American Football" IAB subcategory under the "Sports" category saw +380% YoY ad spend growth in North America, the highest rate of growth among subcategories in the region
    • In APAC, "Personal Finance" saw a 93% YoY increase, the highest rate of growth among subcategories in the region
    • In LATAM, "Automotive" experienced a 124% YoY growth
  • "Music and Audio" subcategories saw regional variations emerge:
    • "Country Music" (Global) +50% YoY
    • "Computing" (APAC) +163% YoY
    • "R&B/Soul/Funk" (EMEA)  +1121% YoY

Download the reports for a complete analysis and review of IAB Ad Spend Trends: 

  • Global
  • North America
  • EMEA
  • APAC
  • LATAM

About Pixalate

Pixalate is a global market-leading ad fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform. Pixalate works 24/7 to guard your reputation and grow your media value by offering the only system of coordinated solutions across display, app, video, and CTV for the detection and elimination of ad fraud. Pixalate is an MRC-accredited service for the detection and filtration of sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) across desktop and mobile web, mobile in-app, and CTV advertising. www.pixalate.com

Disclaimer

The content of this press release, and the Mobile App Ad Spend Benchmarks Reports, reflects Pixalate’s opinions with respect to the factors that Pixalate believes can be useful to the digital media industry. Any data shared is grounded in Pixalate’s proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate’s opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees. Pixalate is sharing this data not to impugn the standing or reputation of any entity, person or app, but, instead, to report findings and trends pertaining to the time period studied.

Nina Talcott
Pixalate Inc.
ntalcott@pixalate.com