Advantages Of Video Ads for Publishers

Mobile engagement continues to grow, creating new opportunities for publishers to monetize their apps without disrupting the user experience. In 2025, users spend an average of 3.5 hours per day in mobile apps, while social media alone accounts for roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes of daily usage. On average, people spend about 70 hours per month on social platforms, underscoring how much time audiences now devote to mobile environments.

As competition for user attention increases, publishers need ad formats that generate revenue while maintaining engagement. Rewarded video ads stand out because they offer a clear value exchange. Users voluntarily watch an ad in return for an in-app benefit, such as extra lives, premium content, virtual currency, or access to exclusive features.

This approach helps improve user engagement, increases ad completion rates, and delivers strong monetization results, making rewarded video one of the most effective advertising formats available today.

What is a Rewarded Video?

Rewarded video is an ad format in which the user receives a reward for viewing a video. For instance, the player is out of lives, and the game may suggest watching a short video in exchange for an extra life. To get this reward, the user must finish watching the clip.

This advertising format offers a fair exchange for both sides: users get the desired prize, while advertisers receive guaranteed views and engagement. Viewers can be rewarded with in-app currency, premium content, extra lives, game boosters, or temporary access to paid features.

Imagine a mobile puzzle game where a player has exhausted all available hints. Instead of purchasing additional hints, they can watch a 30-second video advertisement and instantly receive one free hint. The player benefits from continued gameplay, and the advertiser gains a fully viewed ad impression.

Because users choose whether to watch the ad, rewarded videos are often perceived as less intrusive than other advertising formats, resulting in higher completion rates and a more positive user experience.

Around 90% of gamers engage with rewarded ads to unlock in-game benefits, and 85% enjoy the rewards they receive. Nearly half of U.S. marketers (46.3%) also view this format as a way to increase users’ sense of choice and control.

Common Types of Rewarded Video Rewards

The value of rewarded ads depends largely on the incentive offered to users. While rewards vary across apps and games, several formats are particularly common:

• In-app currency: Coins, gems, tokens, or other virtual currencies that can be spent within the app.
• Extra lives or energy: Additional chances to continue playing without waiting for resources to regenerate.
• Power-ups and boosters: Temporary advantages that help users progress more quickly or overcome challenges.
• Premium content: Access to exclusive levels, characters, skins, or other features that are normally restricted.
• Hints and assistance: Useful in puzzle and strategy games where players may need help advancing.
• Limited-time access: Temporary use of paid features or subscriptions without making a purchase

The rewards offered through rewarded video ads vary by app and audience. The table below highlights some of the most common reward types and their typical use cases.

Choosing rewards that align with user goals can significantly increase engagement and ad completion rates.

Benefits of Video Advertising for App Owners

Rewarded video ads, as a monetization tool, are suitable for virtually any type of gaming application. However, they deliver the strongest results in free-to-play mobile games, where players are accustomed to engaging with ads in exchange for in-game benefits or rewards.

Here are the main benefits app owners gain from using rewarded videos:

• Increased in-app purchases

Video ads encourage users to explore premium content by offering temporary access to in-app goods, features, or benefits. This experience can increase their willingness to make future purchases.

• Higher advertising revenue

Rewarded video advertisements typically generate some of the highest CPM (cost per mille) rates available to publishers, helping app owners maximize revenue from their active user base.

• Improved user engagement and retention

More than half of users prefer to watch video ads in exchange for rewards that let them continue playing or progress faster. By offering value in exchange for attention, rewarded videos can drive stronger engagement and better long-term retention.

• A better user experience

Since ad viewing is completely optional, rewarded videos give users control over their experience. Unlike more disruptive ad formats, they allow players to choose whether to watch an ad and receive a reward, creating a more balanced relationship between monetization and gameplay.

Rewarded Video vs. Other Mobile Ad Formats

Mobile publishers can choose from several advertising formats, each with its own strengths and limitations. Banner ads are easy to implement and provide a steady source of revenue, but they often generate lower engagement and click-through rates. Interstitial ads attract more attention because they appear in full-screen mode, yet they can interrupt the user experience if shown too frequently.

Playable ads let users try out a product before installing it, making them effective for user acquisition campaigns. However, they are typically more complex and costly to produce. Offerwalls provide users with rewards for completing tasks or installing apps, but they usually require a higher level of user commitment.

Rewarded video ads combine many of the advantages of these formats while minimizing disruption. Because users choose whether to watch an ad in exchange for a reward, rewarded videos often achieve higher completion rates, stronger engagement, and better monetization performance. This balance of user satisfaction and revenue generation has made rewarded video a preferred format for many mobile publishers.

How to Start Monetizing Your App With Videos Right Now

Using rewarded video advertisements in your application is an effective way to generate a high volume of quality views while increasing your product’s revenue potential. By offering players meaningful in-game rewards in exchange for watching videos, you can drive stronger engagement, encourage repeated interactions, and achieve higher click-through rates.

The BidInfluence team provides an extensive library of rewarded video formats and templates designed to integrate naturally into mobile applications. In addition, you gain access to a broad set of features available through traditional video advertising, including support for multiple formats, video transcoding, related ad display, and more. The platform also offers integration with trusted partner video networks, helping you expand monetization opportunities while maintaining a seamless user experience.