As the mobile gaming industry matures, user retention is no longer a numbers game. It’s a strategy game. With players engaging across devices, from mobile to Connected TV (CTV) to consoles, marketers can no longer afford to think in silos. Instead, the key to unlocking sustained growth lies in cross-platform strategies that re-engage players where they are, with messaging tailored to who they are.
In 2024, 77% of U.S. gamers played on multiple devices, up from 76% in 2023, according to Business of Apps. This marginal rise underscores a consistent trend: players aren’t loyal to just one screen. And while cross-platform gaming becomes the norm, fragmented user journeys often lead to churn. That’s why the savviest developers and app marketers are investing in advanced audience segmentation and precision targeting across CTV and mobile to build full-funnel journeys that not only drive installs, but bring players back for more.
So how do you use CTV to re-engage mobile game users? The answer lies in smart segmentation, creative sync, and regional nuance, especially when acquiring and retaining players in competitive markets like EMEA.
Why CTV + Mobile Matters for Game Retargeting
CTV advertising is no longer just a top-of-funnel awareness tool. With advances in measurement and attribution, CTV is proving itself to be a powerful retargeting channel, especially for reactivating dormant mobile players.
Here’s why:
- High Engagement: Players watching content on CTV are relaxed, focused, and receptive. When targeted correctly, your CTV creative becomes a gentle nudge to reopen your app, not a disruption.
- Cross-Screen Synergy: With 61% of U.S. gamers playing across multiple devices, it’s likely that the same user you target on CTV will later engage on mobile. Creating a consistent message across both channels makes your game top-of-mind.
- Precision Reach: Today’s CTV platforms allow for detailed audience targeting; meaning you can segment by genre preference, playstyle, spending behavior, and more. It’s no longer about reaching everyone. It’s about reaching the right players.
- Boosted Retention: By syncing mobile retargeting with contextual CTV ads, marketers can prompt returning users to engage with new in-game content, complete an abandoned level, or return after an inactivity lull.
- Creative Synergy & Better User Experience: CTV creatives can be cinematic and immersive, ideal for conveying game narratives, trailers, or new feature announcements. This creative alignment improves engagement, retention, and in-app actions.
- Transparency and Control: Programmatic CTV gives advertisers greater visibility and control over spend, placement, and performance than traditional TV. It also maximizes budget efficiency and offers more predictable returns on spend. In 2025, the average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for CTV bought through open market programmatic channels has dropped, with rates often in the $5–$15 range for open market and $15–$25 for premium PMP (private marketplace) deals.
- Measurability and Campaign Insights: With mobile measurement partners (MMPs), advertisers gain real-time tracking of impressions, installs, and ROAS—delivering real-time insights at the campaign, publisher, and creative levels.
CTV programmatic combines data-driven targeting, automation, cost efficiency, and flexibility—enabling highly effective, measurable, TV-like ad experiences with digital-style insights and real-time optimization.
How to Segment CTV Audiences for Mobile Game Retargeting
Let’s break down how to get smarter about your segmentation so your CTV advertising strategy re-engages valuable players in your audience.
1. Build Personas by Behavioral Triggers
Don’t just segment by age or location. Segment by in-game behavior:
- Players who installed but didn’t complete the tutorial
- Mid-level players who haven’t opened the app in 7+ days
- High-value players who responded well to past limited-time offers (LTOs)
Sync these cohorts to CTV campaigns with messaging that speaks to their current journey status. For example:
- “Still stuck on Level 5? Here’s a power-up.”
- “Limited-time rewards await your return!”
2. Map Creative Messaging to Segments
Once your segments are defined, tailor your CTV creatives to match their motivations:
- For casual players: emphasize fun, humor, or light competition.
- For competitive users: highlight leaderboard status, new challenges, or PvP updates.
- For lapsed spenders: tease exclusive offers or time-sensitive bundles.
Pro Tip: Reuse dynamic mobile creative assets to maintain visual and narrative consistency across platforms. The brand story should feel continuous whether seen on a 55” TV or a smartphone.
3. Leverage Genre Affinity Targeting
Use platform-level data to target users who frequently play similar genres on their TV or mobile devices. For example, if your game is a match-3 puzzler, target viewers who have downloaded similar games or watched gameplay content in that genre.
This type of lookalike modeling ensures you’re targeting warm leads, not just passive viewers.
4. Localize for EMEA Nuances
The EMEA region isn’t a monolith. Cultural, language, and gameplay preferences differ greatly across countries.
When retargeting via CTV in EMEA:
- Localize creative by language and reference regional trends.
- Tailor incentives by country (e.g., UK players may respond to leaderboard messaging while French users may prefer social play incentives).
- Consider time zone-based reactivation windows: Serve CTV ads during regional prime-time hours to boost exposure.
Bonus Tip: Consider integrating subtitles or voiceovers in native languages to make your message resonate deeper with niche audiences.
5. Bridge the Funnel with Mobile Sync
CTV impressions alone won’t retain users, but when paired with synced mobile retargeting, they create a powerful one-two punch.
After a CTV ad is served:
- Trigger a push notification or in-app message with the same offer or theme.
- Time mobile retargeting within a 24-hour window to reinforce recall.
This tight sync helps transform passive ad views into measurable re-opens and in-game actions.
Strategy Snapshot: A CTV Use Case for Retention in EMEA
Let’s say you’re a midcore strategy game developer looking to re-engage dormant players in Germany, France, and the UK.
- Segment: Lapsed users who spent in the past but haven’t opened the game in 14+ days.
- Creative: A CTV ad in native language showing new features + leaderboard re-entry bonus.
- Sync: A mobile retargeting ad and push notification featuring the same bonus offer within 12 hours of the CTV impression.
- Result: A reactivation loop that feels personal, regionally relevant, and time-sensitive.
Key Takeaways
- Cross-platform engagement is the norm, not the exception. Gamers move between mobile, CTV, and consoles seamlessly.
- CTV is now a mid-funnel and re-engagement tool, not just an awareness play.
- Smart segmentation by in-game behavior, playstyle, and region unlocks more relevant, higher-performing campaigns.
- EMEA players require localized strategy: tailor creative, offers, and timing per country.
- Programmatic CTV offers transparency, control, and cost efficiency, making it an attractive channel for retargeting.
- Sync CTV with mobile retargeting to close the loop and drive action.
Ready to Segment Smarter?
YouAppi helps mobile marketers retarget smarter, not harder—with cross-platform solutions that connect CTV to mobile to keep your players coming back. Whether you’re looking to grow in EMEA or globally, we’re ready to help you turn segmentation into sustained revenue.
Let’s build your next high-impact campaign. Contact us today.