Kongregate uses AdMob to boost revenue with average $30 CPM

Jim and Emily Greer started Kongregate 10 years ago with the vision of creating an open platform for indie games that focused on community engagement. Today the San Francisco-based Kongregate offers over 45 mobile titles, ranging from card and puzzle to RPG games.

Kongregate had extensive experience launching successful titles, but was interested in testing AdMob demand to diversify their revenue. They turned to AdMob’s rewarded video ads and tested them in Star Trek Trexels II — a strategy game where players command Star Trek ships around the galaxy. The result was a 90% fill rate and an average $30 cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM), with a 95% completion rate for AdMob’s ads.

Although Kongregate had ad networks to monetize their games already, they were regularly looking for new ways to grow their revenue. To expand their revenue, they wanted a trusted partner who could deliver consistent, long-term results for their monetization strategy. They turned to rewarded video ads from Google AdMob and decided to implement the ads only in one game, initially.

Kongregate, having always been cautious when integrating new ad networks, wanted to test rewarded ads from AdMob with a new title at first. They chose their soon-to-be released game, Star Trexels II, and integrated AdMob’s rewarded ads within the game’s mediation waterfall. To track performance, Kongregate primarily measured average revenue per daily active user and daily engaged user (ARPDAU and ARPDEU), but also looked at eCPM, fill rate and number of ads watched to completion — comparing these metrics to other ad networks they were using.

Kongregate decided to replicate the proven ad placement strategies from their other games into Star Trek Trexels II. Kongregate encouraged users to watch the ads by offering meaningful game boosters — such as the option to watch an ad and revive characters, or receive free Dilithium to be used as soft currency. To encourage further engagement, Kongregate offered users the option to watch an ad at the end of each mission to double their experience points.

Kongregate’s test found that AdMob’s rewarded ads offered competitive performance and a user-centric design — giving players control of their ad experience with the ability to close or skip an ad. The results were impressive: AdMob rewarded ads had a 95% completion rate — meaning a majority of their users were more interested in receiving their reward and watched ads to completion. Furthermore, AdMob delivered a global fill rate of 90% and had an average eCPM of $30 in Star Trek: Trexels II.

Excited about the results from Star Trek Trexels II, Kongregate rolled out AdMob’s rewarded ads in four more titles — including two of its most popular games, AdVenture Capitalist and AdVenture Communist.

Looking ahead, the team plans to work more closely with AdMob to achieve consistent uplift from Google’s global demand network.