The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has introduced a new Gaming Measurement Framework to address one of the most persistent challenges in digital media: how to measure ad performance inside gaming environments. As the gaming audience expands across all demographics and devices, advertisers have struggled to compare results, select partners, and justify spend. This new initiative is meant to fix that.
A Format-First Approach to Clarity
At the heart of the framework is a breakdown of standard ad formats used in gaming—display, video, audio, and custom. For each format, IAB outlines two levels of metrics: baseline (required) and optional (value-added). These benchmarks give marketers a clearer understanding of what they can—and should—expect from campaign partners.
More importantly, it gives them a foundation to ask smarter questions. What’s measurable? Which outcomes are realistic? And how can a brand know if it’s getting a fair deal?
Why It Matters Now
According to the IAB, more than 80% of U.S. internet users identify as gamers. The idea that gaming is a niche category no longer holds water. It’s a dominant part of digital behavior across ages and platforms.
“Gaming is mainstream,” said Zoe Soon, VP of IAB’s Experience Center. “We created this framework so marketers can measure what matters and feel confident investing in gaming. This levels the playing field.”
Benefits for Buyers and Sellers
The framework isn’t just for brands. Agencies, publishers, and ad tech platforms all benefit from having a shared language. Everyone can work from the same definitions when planning, executing, and reporting.
With consistent measurement standards in place, campaign performance becomes easier to compare across partners. That builds trust and opens the door to larger ad budgets flowing into gaming.
According to Allison McDuffee, Global Head of Brand Insights & Measurement at Roblox, “This sets the table for alignment. When everyone defines success the same way, brands can act more confidently.”
What Advertisers Can Do with the Framework
The IAB outlined four practical ways to use the framework:
- Match metrics to the right partners before investing in campaigns
- Improve campaign planning by understanding the range of ad types available
- Set up clear expectations for how results will be measured and reported
- Justify media spend with better insights into which gaming formats drive results
It’s not a silver bullet. But it does move the conversation from vague promises to measurable outcomes.
Webinar to Dive Deeper
To help marketers get up to speed, IAB will host a webinar titled “Play to Win: Measuring Campaign Success in Gaming” on July 24 at 2:00 PM ET. The session will walk through the new framework, explain key metrics, and show how it applies to real-world campaigns.
What This Signals for the Future
Advertising inside gaming platforms has long been compared to the early days of mobile and connected TV—highly engaged audiences but limited ways to measure success. With the IAB stepping in to standardize expectations, gaming may finally be ready for primetime budgets.
Brands who’ve been cautious now have fewer excuses. The groundwork has been laid. Standards are in place. It’s time to treat gaming as a core part of the digital mix—not an experiment.
The new framework may not answer every question, but it gives everyone in the industry a starting point that didn’t exist before.
