The Big Opportunity: CTV + Second Screen Gaming

Mobile gaming isn’t confined to mobile anymore. Players aren’t just on their phones — they’re on every screen. In fact, 88% of Americans engage with a second screen while watching television. For mobile game marketers, this means Connected TV (CTV) isn’t just a brand awareness play — it’s a powerful performance channel that can re-engage lapsed players, acquire new ones, and keep your title top-of-mind in moments when attention is split.

With programmatic buying now making CTV accessible at smaller, measurable budgets, even mobile game studios without blockbuster TV budgets can use the big screen to drive installs, re-engagement, and in-app purchases, with the same level of attribution and performance measurement you’d expect from mobile.

Current Gaming Trends: Why EMEA is Prime for Player Acquisition

According to Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile Gaming 2025 report, EMEA is one of the most strategic regions for mobile game growth:

  • $10.3B in 2024 mobile game revenue — roughly 27% of the global total.

  • 14.4B downloads in 2024, also ~27% of global totals.

  • UK, Germany, and France lead in revenue, while Turkey, Russia, and the UK dominate downloads.

  • Puzzle and Strategy games top revenue charts, while Action games generate high download volume.

This mix of high-value western European markets and fast-growth download markets like Turkey makes EMEA a dual opportunity: you can scale both your paying user base and your overall audience footprint with the right campaign mix.

The CTV Opportunity

For decades, TV advertising was the domain of big-budget brands. High costs, low precision, and limited measurement meant it was more about mass awareness than measurable performance. CTV has flipped that model.

  • CTV ad spend in the U.S. will hit $33.35B in 2025 — a 15.8% YoY increase — as advertisers embrace it for both reach and precision (eMarketer).

  • With addressable audiences, AI-powered contextual targeting, and programmatic buying, marketers get the best of both worlds: the scale of TV and the accountability of digital.

  • FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) platforms like Samsung TV Plus now reach 88M monthly active users and are surging in multicultural audience growth — opening new doors for niche targeting.

For game marketers, this means you can run CTV campaigns with the same audience granularity, creative testing, and ROAS tracking you use on mobile, making it a true performance channel, not just an awareness play.

What Interactive CTV Ads Can Do for Games

CTV no longer has to be a passive viewing experience. Interactive CTV ads invite players to take part in the ad itself, turning a 30-second spot into a real-time engagement opportunity.

What They Are:

Interactive CTV ads use clickable elements, QR codes, and gamified overlays to invite viewers to take part in the ad experience. Formats include:

  • QR codes that link directly to app store listings or promo pages.

  • Dynamic overlays like countdown timers for limited-time events.

  • Clickable formats such as product carousels, store locators, or choose-your-own-adventure storylines.

  • Gamification with quizzes, surveys, or mini-games to tease gameplay and reward engagement.

The results speak for themselves:

For mobile games, this means you can turn a TV spot into a playable preview, a community challenge, or a direct install driver — all without relying on a passive viewer to remember your title later.

3 Cross-Screen Campaign Ideas for Mobile Gaming Brands

Here’s how you can combine CTV’s interactivity with mobile retargeting to keep players engaged across devices.

  1. “Watch It, Play It” Live Event Challenges
  • CTV Side: Run a countdown overlay with a QR code during esports tournaments or live-streamed gaming events.

  • Mobile Follow-Up: Retarget QR scanners with an in-game event matching the broadcast theme — e.g., a timed boss battle or themed puzzle level.

  • Why It Works: Leverages urgency and fandom, turning second-screen viewing into instant in-game participation.

  1. Choose-Your-Adventure Story Trailers
  • CTV Side: Let viewers pick the story path in your game trailer (hero vs. villain, stealth vs. attack).

  • Mobile Follow-Up: Serve them retargeted ads that match the path they chose, nudging them to install or re-open to “see how it ends.”

  • Why It Works: Creates a personalized hook that bridges curiosity from TV to gameplay.

  1. Social CTV Leaderboard Integrations
  • CTV Side: Repurpose in-game leaderboard content into Social CTV creatives, complete with like counts, player comments, and a QR code to join.

  • Mobile Follow-Up: Retarget scanners with a “Your friends are waiting” creative, showing their spot on the live leaderboard.

  • Why It Works: Taps into competitive drive and FOMO, encouraging immediate installs and engagement.

Key Takeaways

  • CTV is measurable and performance-driven. Programmatic buying puts it in reach for all game marketers, not just AAA publishers.

  • Interactive CTV can boost attention and recall, turning passive viewers into active participants.

  • EMEA is a high-opportunity region with both high-value spenders and rapidly growing download markets.

  • Cross-screen strategies close the loop — from TV interaction to mobile retargeting, you can build campaigns that drive installs, re-engagement, and long-term loyalty.

Ready to scale your mobile game with interactive CTV?
YouAppi’s programmatic mobile and CTV solutions help gaming brands deliver measurable, multi-screen campaigns that convert. Let’s turn your big-screen moments into big growth — Contact us today.