Maya Robertson
PubMatic and Zynga have announced a partnership aimed at expanding advertisers’ access to premium mobile gaming inventory, as new market data shows 53.8% of the U.S. population is expected to play mobile games in 2026, bringing gaming audiences to near parity with shopping app users. Despite that scale, mobile gaming continues to receive a significantly smaller share of advertising budgets.
According to data, gaming apps now account for 8.1% of U.S. app advertising spend, representing 42% year-over-year growth. However, shopping apps still attract roughly twice as much advertising investment despite reaching a similarly sized audience, highlighting what the companies describe as an underutilized opportunity for brands.
The partnership will give advertisers more direct access to Zynga’s premium mobile gaming inventory through PubMatic’s programmatic infrastructure. By integrating PubMatic’s OpenWrap SDK, Zynga aims to provide a more efficient supply path, enabling buyers to access in-game inventory with greater transparency while reducing complexity in the programmatic supply chain.
The collaboration also introduces commerce-focused advertising formats into Zynga’s games. Through PubMatic’s creative capabilities, including its Click-to-Cart format, advertisers will be able to deliver interactive campaigns that connect in-game engagement with shopping experiences. The companies said these formats are designed to create less disruptive advertising experiences while supporting measurable business outcomes.
Artificial intelligence is another component of the agreement. Buyers will be able to activate campaigns through PubMatic’s AgenticOS and Activate platforms, which use AI-powered workflows to automate media buying, optimize supply paths, and improve campaign performance across Zynga’s inventory. The goal is to streamline campaign execution while giving advertisers greater control over how premium gaming inventory is purchased.
The announcement reflects broader changes in how advertisers view mobile gaming. Once largely associated with user acquisition campaigns for app installs, the channel is increasingly being positioned as a full-funnel advertising environment capable of supporting commerce, brand awareness, and performance marketing initiatives. Growing audience scale, improved measurement capabilities, and more sophisticated creative formats are contributing to that shift.
For Zynga, the partnership expands programmatic demand for its advertising inventory while providing brands with direct access to one of the largest mobile gaming audiences. For PubMatic, the collaboration strengthens its offering in mobile gaming by combining premium inventory with commerce-enabled ad formats and AI-driven campaign management tools.
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