The worldwide market for in-game and gaming app advertising is estimated to be worth around $12.62 billion in 2026, with forecasts predicting it will grow to $31.5 billion by 2035 at a 10.7% CAGR. A lot is happening in the gaming app industry. Most game developers rely on just a few app ad networks to achieve their targets. Over time, cost per install rises, players get tired of seeing the same ads repeatedly, and installs start to slow down.
Mobile OEM channels are the top gaming ad networks outside the usual platforms. These are ad placements managed by smartphone brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and HONOR. They reach players directly on their devices through preloads, native display ads, and alternative app stores, rather than inside other apps. This approach helps you reach more players beyond traditional networks. AVOW’s OEM partners cover 86% of the global Android market.
OEM inventory works best alongside Google AdMob, Unity Ads, and Facebook Audience Network. Keep using those networks, but don’t rely on them alone for all your growth.
Key takeaways
- Traditional mobile ad networks such as Google AdMob and Unity Ads remain the backbone of user acquisition and app monetization for most gaming apps.
- Mobile OEM channels reach players in places SDK-based networks can’t, such as the setup screen of a new phone, the native app store, the browser, and the lock screen.
- Dynamic Preloads install a game on a new device as soon as it starts up, without needing SDK integration, and use a cost-per-install model.
- Tripledot Studios and Funvent Studios both added OEM inventory to existing partners and beat their performance targets.
- Use OEM channels as an extra layer. Start by testing widely, then focus on the regions that meet your ROAS and retention targets.
What do traditional app ad networks offer mobile game developers?
Traditional app ad networks work on both sides of the gaming economy. Game developers use them to buy installs, and they use the same networks to sell their own ad space and earn ad revenue.
The best-known names are Google AdMob, Unity Ads, and Facebook Audience Network (currently Meta Audience Network). Each connects advertisers with ad inventory inside thousands of mobile apps through a software development kit (SDK). For gaming, the ad format matters as much as the network.
For gaming, the ad format matters as much as the network. The formats you’ll see most:
- Rewarded video ads: players opt in to watch a short video for an in-game reward, like an extra life or bonus coins.
- Interstitial ads: full-screen ads shown at natural breaks, such as between levels.
- Playable ads: interactive and engaging ads that let someone try a mini version of a game before installing it.
- Banner ads and native ads: smaller display ads that sit inside, or correspond to the look of, the app’s interface.
Rewarded ads are popular with players because they choose to watch them. Most studios use several ad networks through mediation, letting networks compete for each ad spot. This approach works, but it also means everyone is buying the same inventory.
Why are gaming apps looking past traditional mobile ad networks?
Crowding. More than 50,000 apps launch on Google Play every month, and most of them chase the same audiences on the same networks.
User acquisition teams deal with this competition daily. Costs go up as more advertisers target the same players. Players also get tired of seeing the same ads, so they stop engaging. Some players are hard to reach—they ignore social ads and never search the store, but they do download games from the app store that came with their phone.
Funvent Studios, the team behind the tile-matching puzzle game Tiledom, hit this wall in emerging markets. As competition grew and traditional ad networks reached their limits, the studio faced limited regional scale and too little inventory diversity.
Most teams focus on improving bidding efficiency. A better approach is to look for ad inventory that isn’t crowded with other advertisers. Which Gaming Ad Networks Go Beyond the Traditional Platforms?
Mobile OEM advertising is the largest channel outside the traditional networks. OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) build smartphones, and many run their own ad platforms and app stores. AVOW’s 13 OEM partners, including Samsung, Xiaomi, HUAWEI, OPPO, vivo, HONOR, and Transsion, reach over 1.85 billion daily active users. This inventory doesn’t come through third-party SDK networks. It lives on the phone. For gaming apps, four formats stand out.
This inventory doesn’t come through third-party SDK networks. It lives on the phone. For gaming apps, four formats stand out.
Dynamic Preloads
Dynamic Preloads use Google Play Auto Install (PAI) to recommend and install your game when someone first sets up a new phone or factory-resets it. There’s no SDK to integrate, campaigns run on cost per install (CPI), and users can opt out, so each install comes from a user who kept the app. Campaigns can go live about two weeks after commercial agreements are signed.
On-device display ads
Native display ads appear on the phone’s own surfaces: the app store, browser, themes, lock screen, and app folders. OEMs target by on-device behavior, such as which apps a user has installed and which categories they spend time in. AVOW offers over 100 display placements.
Alternative app stores
OEM stores such as Samsung Galaxy Store, Xiaomi GetApps, and HUAWEI AppGallery offer features that the big stores don’t. Samsung’s Essential Games Pick opens with a full-screen video or image the moment a user enters the Galaxy Store, then shrinks into a banner as they scroll. AVOW reports that store featuring can lift ad visibility and installs up to 3x daily volume.
OEM branding
Splash screens, lock screen feeds, and screensavers build awareness at scale. BingoPlus, an online gaming platform in the Philippines, ran Xiaomi for reach and HUAWEI for engagement. Xiaomi delivered106M+ impressions, while HUAWEI produced a click-through rate (CTR) of about 2.63%, almost 3x Xiaomi’s.
What results are game developers seeing?
OEM channels have delivered for studios that already ran mature UA on traditional networks. Three gaming results from AVOW’s 2026 case studies:
| Studio | OEM Channel Mix | Result |
| Tripledot Studios (Solitaire, Woodoku) | Display ads and Google PAI preloads with Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Samsung | Beat targets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) by 20%; 15% higher performance than other preload channels |
| Funvent Studios (Tiledom) | Preloads and display across Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo | 2.5M+ installs in August 2025 alone; Day 7 retention of 8.5% against an 8% goal; Day 7 ROAS of 18% |
| Zephyr Mobile (Get Color, Hey Color) | Performance campaigns on Xiaomi devices | Two titles promoted across 30 countries; engagement and performance goals met |
Each studio included OEM inventory in its media mix, giving it access to a less competitive channel. One thing stays the same: OEM channels are for user acquisition, so your mediation stack still handles app monetization. Players you get through OEM devices still see your rewarded and interstitial ads, and they continue to generate ad revenue.
“We are very satisfied with our partnership with AVOW: the team is extremely knowledgeable about the OEM industry and its potential, and seamlessly managed our campaigns across over 30 countries. They undoubtedly played a key role in our global user acquisition activity.”
Vladimir Yarkin, CMO, Zephyr Mobile
How do you combine multiple ad networks with OEM channels?
Think of OEM inventory as an extra layer on top of your current configuration. Here’s a simple way to approach it:
- Map overlap first. List your current partners and where they buy. Zephyr Mobile set up its OEM campaigns specifically to avoid overlap with its existing UA partners.
- Start by testing across many OEMs and regions. Then, focus on the areas where you see the best ROAS and retention, as Funvent did.
- Zero in on optimizing for events, not just installs. Use your mobile measurement partner (MMP) to track what happens after the install. For Xiaomi display campaigns, AVOW suggests switching from fixed CPI to optimized cost per click (oCPC) bidding so the OEM’s algorithm can target users more likely to engage.
- Choose the right format for your goal. Use preloads to boost launches and reach new-device users, display ads for retargeting and ROAS, store featuring for visibility, and branding for awareness.OEM channels are a user acquisition play, so your mediation stack still runs app monetization. Players you acquire on OEM devices still see your rewarded and interstitial ads, and they still drive ad revenue.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are app ad networks?
App ad networks connect advertisers with ad space inside mobile apps. Game developers use them to buy installs and to sell their own ad inventory, usually through an SDK built into the app.
What is the best ad network for mobile games?
No single network wins every goal. Google AdMob, Unity Ads, and Facebook Audience Network cover most monetization and core UA needs. Mobile OEM channels add incremental reach on Android, where AVOW’s partners cover 86% of the global market (AVOW Fact Sheet, June 2026).
Can OEM channels replace AdMob or Unity Ads?
No. OEM channels handle user acquisition, while your mediation stack still runs ad monetization. The strongest setups use both.
Do Dynamic Preloads need an SDK integration?
No. Dynamic Preloads install your game from Google Play when a new device is first set up, with no SDK or technical integration. Campaigns run on a cost-per-install model.
How do you measure OEM campaign performance?
Through your MMP, like any other channel. AVOW integrates with all major MMPs and tracks post-install events, including rejected installs flagged by your anti-fraud package.
Where Should Your Next Install Come From?
Traditional app ad networks are still important. But when every studio buys the same ad inventory, you need an advantage where others aren’t looking. For Android gaming apps, that advantage is on the device itself—like the setup screen, native app store, or lock screen. This opportunity won’t last forever.
Find out how OEM inventory can fit into your game’s user acquisition strategy. Book a demo to complete your growth plan.
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