Mobile & app · also called Rewarded ads
Rewarded video
Rewarded video is an opt-in ad format, mostly in mobile games, where users choose to watch a video ad in exchange for an in-app reward like extra lives or coins.
Rewarded video turns an interruption into a trade: "Watch this 30-second ad to get 50 coins." The user chooses to watch, and receives a reward only after completion. It is one of the most popular in-app advertising formats, especially in free-to-play games.
Because users opt in and usually watch to the end, rewarded video achieves high completion rates and is popular with players compared with forced ads. Advertisers value it, especially for app install campaigns, and publishers earn high eCPMs. Rewards are verified through server-side callbacks, so the reward is granted only when the ad network confirms completion.
It is disclosed incentivized traffic, so its engagement should be judged fairly: viewers are motivated by the reward, which can mean lower intent for some advertisers. Buyers should know when inventory is rewarded. Fraudsters sometimes fake reward callbacks or use scripted devices to farm rewards, so server-side verification and fraud detection matter.
Think of it like this
Rewarded video is like getting a free coffee for filling in a short survey: you choose to do it, and you know what you get in return.
An example
A mobile puzzle game in Egypt offers players an extra move after a failed level if they watch a 30-second ad; 40% of stuck players opt in, generating a $12 eCPM for the developer.
Related terms
In-app advertising
In-app advertising is ads shown inside mobile apps, such as games, utilities and social apps, as opposed to ads on websites viewed in a mobile browser.
Incentivized traffic
Incentivized traffic is visits, clicks, installs or ad views from people who were rewarded, with money, points, game currency or perks, to take the action, rather than acting from genuine interest.
Interstitial ad
An interstitial ad is a full-screen ad that covers an app or web page's interface, usually at a natural transition point such as between game levels, until the user closes it.
Playable ad
A playable ad is an interactive ad, usually for a mobile game, that lets users try a short, simplified version of the game inside the ad before deciding to install it.
Ad mediation
Ad mediation is software that lets app developers connect many ad networks and bidders through one SDK and chooses which network fills each ad request to maximise revenue.
Sources: IAB Tech Lab Open Measurement SDK