Roblox has tapped PubMatic to power its new video ads business set to go live later this year.

The partnership will enable programmatic media buying of Roblox video ad inventory as the platform looks to increase revenue and further attract brands.

While a significant portion of Roblox’s audience is aged 12 and under, ads will only be served to players aged 13 and up, it said. Of the platform’s 71 million daily active users, half of them are claimed to be in the Gen Z demographic.

New revenue stream

Roblox already has ‘Portal Ads’ in the game, which promote other in-game worlds for users to try. The platform has also previously hosted branded worlds like Gucci Town and the Tommy Hilfiger ‘Tommy Play’ space.

“We are committed to making it easier for brands to foster connections with our highly engaged community on Roblox,” said Roblox VP of global partnerships Stephanie Latham.

“Partnering with PubMatic unlocks the opportunity for more advertisers to seamlessly engage this community through preferred content formats, like video, while providing advertiser controls around brand suitability.

“The ad experience we offer on the platform is built to be immersive instead of disruptive, and true to the Roblox experience that our community of creators, users, and brands know and love.”

PubMatic chief revenue officer, Americas Kyle Dozeman added: “We are thrilled to partner with Roblox to deliver a pioneering advertising solution that marries monetisation with user experience.

“Advertising creates significant opportunities for many companies, and it funds and fuels the endless potential of the internet. We look forward to empowering Roblox to maintain full control over its advertising ecosystem while enabling advertisers to reach their target audiences effectively.”