The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched the Gaming Measurement Framework, designed to help advertisers understand, measure and compare their campaigns in gaming environments,
For years, gaming has been seen as advertising’s next big opportunity. The audience is certainly there. In the UK, more than half of adults — around 35 million people — now play video games, according to Ofcom. Among younger groups, gaming isn’t just entertainment but a central part of how they socialise and spend their free time. UK gamers aged 16 and 64 rack up nearly seven hours of play per week, with those in their late twenties and early thirties averaging even more.
Worldwide, the gaming audience now exceeds three billion people, with players spanning all age groups, genders and backgrounds — from teens on consoles to parents on mobile devices to older adults playing casual games. Even gaming content, on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, has become a major part of how people consume media.
Despite this reach, advertisers have been slow to follow. UK gaming ad spend reached £1.1bn in 2024, according to IAB UK, only a small slice of total digital media budgets. A recent Dentsu Gaming study found that less than 5% of brands’ media budgets were spent on gaming. One reason for that is that measurement has been patchy. With different platforms reporting different numbers, it’s hard for marketers to compare results or feel confident about investing in the space.
The IAB’s new framework aims to fix that. It breaks down the main gaming ad formats — display ads, video ads, audio ads — and more customised formats like branded game spaces or virtual items. For each, it lists what information advertisers should expect as standard, like how many people saw the ad, how many clicked on it and whether they took action, such as redeeming a voucher or making a purchase.
It also lists more advanced data that some platforms may offer: whether people remembered the ad, how much attention it actually got, or even offline outcomes, like visits to physical stores.
‘The framework’s launch is a major step forward both for the gaming industry and decision makers in marketing,’ said Alison McDuffee, global head of brand insights and measurement at Roblox. ‘These shared standards and an established common language unlock the full power of gaming as a marketing channel.’
The IAB hopes the framework will give marketers a practical way to assess partners, plan campaigns and measure results more consistently across gaming platforms. By setting clear expectations for what can be tracked — from impressions to conversions — the goal is to reduce uncertainty, align reporting across the industry and help brands feel more confident directing budgets toward gaming.
‘Gaming is no longer a niche pastime relegated to teenagers in basements; it’s mainstream entertainment with the potential to become a dominant force in the digital advertising ecosystem,’ said Zoe Soon, VP of IAB’s Experience Centre. ‘Brands need to meet audiences where they play — but to do that, they need clear, consistent ways to measure what matters.’
Main image by Sherwin Kerr on Unsplash.
