Roblox launches video ads today, partnering with IAS to deliver transparent metr | Pocket Gamer.biz

Roblox has partnered with media measurement platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) to bring new levels of clarity to ad campaigns within its user-generated metaverse.

IAS’s Viewability and Invalid Traffic Measurement products will be made available for video ads in Roblox later this year and will offer more transparency around their quality, performance and more.

An appetite for additional ads

Roblox’s video ad compatibility opened up to all advertisers today, May 1st, through the power of PubMatic, allowing advertisers to begin buying 3D ad space and promoting products to users over 13 years of age.

With an audience of 71.5 million daily active users, it goes without saying that the potential to reach new customers in Roblox is huge. And while the platform leans towards a younger audience – Gen Z comprises half the playerbase, while many branded experiences target Gen Alpha players – almost all members of Gen Z are already over that 13-and-up ad threshold.

This means that while Gen Alpha can’t yet be advertised to via Roblox’s newly permitted campaigns, ads will still be able to reach roughly 35 million daily users from Gen Z, plus the smaller number of more mature players.

While these ads can start appearing as of today, advertisers will have to wait a few months for IAS integration to accurately measure the performance of intrinsic 3D ads. When this compatibility arrives, they will be able to monitor brand awareness and ensure that ads engage with real users on the platform, creating a “safer, more transparent gaming environment” for brands.

Of course, other ad formats such as billboard-esque images are already commonplace in Roblox, and immersives have been present since 2023, but the broadening to video ads represents a new frontier for this metaverse – hence the partnership with PubMatic and now IAS.

“Our partnership with Roblox makes us the first measurement provider to bring enhanced visibility and transparency to the world of 3D immersive experiences on Roblox, giving advertisers the assurance they need that their ads are driving engagement and reaching real users,” said IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider.

Roblox global head of brand insights and measurement Allison McDuffee commented: “This partnership will help us develop industry-leading measurement tools to establish and maintain trust with our advertising partners.”

As well as treading new paths in the advertising space, Roblox has been advancing its AI use in recent months – from 3D textures to live translators.