Adtech platforms Bidstack and Venatus announce in-game advertising partnership

Venatus and Bidstack, two UK-based platforms providing in-game ad solutions, have secured a commercial partnership that will combine programmatic technology and gaming expertise.

The tie-up will give Venatus, which currently houses more than 40 gaming specialists, exclusive access to Bidstack’s video-game advertising inventory across six global markets: the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Australia and South Korea. Venatus will also take sole ownership of Bidstack’s direct sales across its key markets.

Bidstack helps marketers reach gamers by offering intrinsic ads within video games. The technology allows the ads to be programmatically inserted into games (taking the form of banners, cityscape billboards and pitch-side LED boards) in a way that ensures they do not interrupt gameplay.

Since launching in 2017, Bidstack has grown its network to include more than 400 games across mobile and PC, with a total monthly reach of 100 million people.

The company has also worked with leading video-game publishers, including Ubisoft, Miniclip and Sports Interactive, and has delivered in-game campaigns for brands such as Apple, Samsung, Marriott Bonvoy and Doritos.

James Draper, founder and chief executive of Bidstack, said: “We’ve identified an opportunity to create massive value for both businesses, our customers, and partners through a major tie-in that combines Venatus’ gaming specialist sales heft with Bidstack’s programmatic technology and carefully nurtured network of games.”

Venatus, formed in 2010 by chief executive Rob Gay and chief operating officer Matt Cannon, offers adtech solutions to publishers in the gaming and entertainment spaces. The platform gathers more than 1.4 billion monthly video views and is linked with more than 250 gaming-focused publishers, including Roblox and Nintendo.

The company acquired AdinPlay, another in-game ads platform, in March. Access to Bidstack’s gaming network will further enhance Venatus’ current offering, which can be provided in-game as well as around or outside a game’s playable window.

Gay said: “With the rapid growth of intrinsic in-game advertising, we now partner with experts in the format and add another string to our bow on behalf of our customers. With Bidstack’s world class in-game network, we can build richer, more diverse campaigns on behalf of our clients in this incredibly exciting gaming media channel.”

From its current predicted valuation of $8.4bn, the in-game advertising industry is projected to grow to a value of $17.6bn by 2030.

In June 2022, the IAB and Media Rating Council released official measurement guidelines for intrinsic ads that appear within gameplay, addressing key areas such as ad viewability, measurement, inactivity and fraud. These standards were updated in March 2023.