Mobile Signal

AppLovin vs Unity after Q3 2026 earnings: who’s pulling ahead, and what could change? Josh Chandley, Matt and Vincent unpack AXON, Unity Vector, AI ad targeting, D28 ROAS, and the competition shaping mobile gaming user acquisition and ad monetization.We debate MAX mediation, Unity’s runtime data, reported Silver Lake/PIF buyout talks, and what stronger competition means for publishers. Plus: could Meta and Google challenge AppLovin on iOS?CHAPTERS00:00 AppLovin vs Unity: Is the Gap Widening?03:20 Election Spending and Advertising Demand06:00 AppLovin Self-Serve and Vector Advertiser Adoption09:54 Where AppLovin’s Next Gaming Growth Comes From13:29 Better Ad Targeting: Higher CPMs, Same ROAS?18:23 Unity Vector’s 40% Growth and Runtime Data22:27 Can Unity Close the Gap Without Hurting Margins?27:24 Unity Buyout Talks: Capital, Debt and the Engine32:34 How Earnings Reports Help Vector Win Advertisers34:40 Growing the Ad Market vs Taking Market Share39:07 Publisher Economics: Inventory Prices and What to Test41:40 MAX’s Moat: What Would Make Publishers Switch?46:05 Unity Ad Quality SDK and the Value of Auction Data49:05 Could Meta and Google Challenge AppLovin on iOS?54:28 Final Verdict and Predictions for 2027Subscribe to Mobile Signal for discussions on mobile growth, performance marketing and ad monetization.

Mobile ad prices are shifting as Meta becomes pricier and Google's network regains footing. Learn how better targeting impacts your spend.We analyze the current duopoly landscape, specifically focusing on the recent growth of the Google AdMob network and the rising costs on Meta platforms. This episode is designed for senior UA managers and ad tech operators who need to understand why these price fluctuations are happening and how they affect overall campaign performance.We also address a listener question regarding why major studios choose to separate mediation platforms. By understanding the costs associated with these architectural decisions, you can better optimize your stack.Takeaways* Google's ad network growth* CTV's evolving role in marketing AI search impacts traditional marketing* Meta's ad pricing and performance dynamicsChapters* 00:00 Google's Network Growth Insights* 05:08 AdMob and Mediation Dynamics* 13:07 The Rise of CTV in Marketing* 21:05 Search Revenue Trends and Challenges* 28:06 The Rise of AI in Marketing* 31:15 Impact of AI on Search and Advertising* 33:08 Meta's Advertising Landscape* 38:39 Navigating Ad Spend and Market Dynamics* 52:22 The Future of Mediation StrategiesMobile Signal is the podcast for senior mobile growth operators. Subscribe for weekly industry breakdowns.

AppLovin, which runs Max, the largest mediation platform in mobile gaming, is in arbitration with Unity over the Ad Quality SDK and the data it collects. Unity’s Vector has posted 18 months of consistent gains and the question is what’s driving them. Miniclip, Tencent’s publishing arm, launched AdSurge, a standalone in-app ad network built on years of cross-promotion data and aimed at ad-monetized games first. CloudX launched Orchestrator, a multimediation tool with AppLovin Max as its first supported platform.Josh Chandley and Vincent Tessier (CMO, 52 Entertainment) on what the three have in common: who gets to see what an auction paid, and what that means for publishers running on Max, LevelPlay, or both.Chapters:00:00 Unity Vector and D2807:39 AppLovin vs Unity Lawsuit12:27 Who Owns Auction Data?21:23 Tencent Launches AdSurge25:22 AdSurge Scale, Zynga ZADE30:33 CloudX Orchestrator ExplainedDisclaimer:Views expressed on Mobile Signal are those of the hosts and guests, not their employers.Josh Chandley and Vincent Tessier are investors in CloudX. CloudX had no editorial control over this episode, its questions, or its conclusions.Josh Chandley does not currently hold individual publicly traded securities, including options and short positions.

Unity's ad business has grown for six straight quarters in an ecosystem dominated by AppLovin's AXON network and MAX mediation. None of that growth came from engine data.Our conversation explores the journey of launching Vector, the early hate, the challenges faced in transitioning from legacy systems, and the importance of developer data in enhancing game performance. Felix discusses the significance of predictive modeling, the introduction of Day 28 metrics, and the competitive landscape surrounding these innovations. We also delve into the significance of data ownership and its impact on game developers.Chapters:00:00 Unity's Chief AI Officer on What He Got Wrong About Vector03:59 Why Unity Never Shipped Engine Data Before Vector07:51 Day 28 ROAS: Who Adopted First and Why It's Harder Than Day 712:35 Is Day 28 a Moat? Competing Ad Networks, Day 90 and PLTV17:16 Engine Data vs First-Party Data: Sequence, Causality and the Unity Runtime21:45 Opting Into Developer Data: What You Get, What You Risk29:05 D2C and Web Shops: Unity Commerce as a New Signal for Vector32:59 The 1% Conversion Problem: Why CPI Stopped Predicting Value37:08 Where Vector's Next Billion Comes From: Beyond Mobile In-App41:13 The Case for Testing Vector and Day 28 in Q444:58 My Takeaways: Is Runtime Data Unity's Next Unlock?

Game publishers building their own ad networks. The question is whether any of them can become a real ad network, or whether they stall as highly advanced cross-promotion tools.Who's in the game:Tencent: reportedly building an in-app ad network, backed by 1.2B+ downloads in 2026 so far (AppMagic)Voodoo: quietly building its own network, visible spreading across apps on AppGoblinNazara: owns BestPlay (formerly Bluetile), a rewarded distribution app publishers use to move and keep usersAlso discussed: TikTok/Pangle, Bigo Ads, YSO, NeftaChapters:00:00 Intro00:25 Who's building publisher ad networks02:01 The prize: cutting out the middlemen04:52 Cost savings vs. targeting loss06:47 Portfolio retention: a lower bar?10:39 Grocery store vs. bookstore12:04 Cross-promotion as the beachhead13:48 What would make a publisher integrate?15:53 Can Tencent do it?18:59 Competing by eating margin20:28 The Moloco playbook: a breakeven network22:30 The Pangle case study30:55 Voodoo, AppGoblin, and BeReal32:40 Escaping cross-promotion purgatory34:04 The 10% ARPDAU bar36:15 The new-SDK honeymoon37:42 YSO and Nefta38:52 Threat or rounding error?40:43 Predictions through 202745:02 Who moves next?DisclaimersViews expressed on Mobile Signal are those of the hosts and guests, not their employers.At the time of publishing, Josh Chandley does not hold individual publicly traded securities, including options and short positions.

If you monetize with ads, Digital Turbine is bidding on your inventory with something no other network has. Its software ships inside the firmware on roughly a billion Android devices, which means it can install apps directly, and to do that it has to read what is already on the phone. That app list becomes a signal in the auction.The question is whether that actually changes what you get paid. Every other network sees inside apps. DT sees across them. Is that a real pricing edge, or a story?Itai Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer at Digital Turbine, argues it is real, and that it shows up most in the impressions performance UA has stopped paying for. Performance bids decay with session depth. Brand bids stay roughly flat. His claim is that DT competes for impression four and five in a way a single-threaded app install network structurally cannot.I push back on the part that matters for publishers. Mediation does not price session quality. MAX gives you no filter for ad friction, so the aggressive three-tap creative wins the auction over the lower-CPM brand ad that would have kept the player in the session. Good demand does not win on its own. We get into what a developer can actually do about that without building their own auction.Chapters00:00 The bet: DT sees across the whole phone00:24 First boot: a billion devices and who owns the screen04:17 On-device vs App Growth Platform: one business or two?05:47 The new taxonomy: DT Ignite, DT Ads, DT Launchpad07:09 Wide and shallow vs deep: what DT sees that AppLovin can't11:03 The app list signal and how it changes a bid14:29 The firmware vs SDK tradeoff17:29 Conviction or constraint? The case for impression 419:32 $1B in two months: AdColony, Fyber, Appreciate23:49 Two reported segments, one platform: where the seam shows29:23 AGP revenue: $72M, then $36M, now $56.6M32:24 128 steps to launch a single campaign36:21 Google owns Android. Why isn't this Google's thesis?40:00 Sizing brand: $670B mobile, $110B app install, $12B gaming ads45:13 Will DT break out brand revenue by 2030?47:46 Diapers vs a game ad: how brand outbids performance50:56 Ad quality has no bid: session quality and the auction54:54 MAX, missing filters, and the grind from impression 10 to 11:01:11 Non-gaming UA is not brand: the demand gradient1:06:49 The closing bet and what to watch in a yearDisclaimersMarket figures cited by Itai come from eMarketer, AppsFlyer and Sensor Tower.Views expressed on Mobile Signal are those of the hosts and guests, not their employers.At the time of publishing, Josh Chandley does not hold individual publicly traded securities, including options and short positions.

The conversation delves into the earnings reports of AppLovin, Unity, and Liftoff, and the operator's take on what it means for advertisers. It explores the confusion and perceived value in the market, as well as the future growth and strategy of these companies. The discussion also covers consumer spend, revenue growth, and the gaming ecosystem, with a focus on Unity's performance and Vector's growth. Additionally, it touches on Unity's guidance and the consideration of future testing. The conversation delves into the complexity of the new billing system introduced by the Google Play Store, highlighting the impact of these changes on UA buying models and the need for a thorough understanding of the new billing rules for UA optimization. The discussion also touches on the outcome of the Google and Epic lawsuit, shedding light on the implications for app developers and publishers.TakeawaysAppLovin, Unity, and Liftoff operator perspectiveSensor tower says installs are down, revenue barely moved, and neither did time spentGoogle and Epic dropped their settlements, and now third-party app stores are live inside Google PlayImpact of changes in UA buying modelsSignificance of understanding the new billing rules for UA optimizationChapters00:00 Does AppLovin Need Brand Awareness?02:12 AppLovin, Unity, Liftoff Earnings: Operator Impact13:17 Can Consumer & E-Commerce Ever Rival Gaming for AppLovin?20:13 The "Crappy Inventory" Debate26:53 Unity Vector: $1B Run Rate, Two Quarters Early32:21 Is Vector's Growth Real? D28 Campaigns & Whether to Retest37:00 Liftoff's First Earnings & DSPs44:47 Sensor Tower H1: Installs Down 12%, Revenue Flat, Old Games Winning50:43 Are Installs Really Falling? The Reinstall Undercount54:59 Is Hypercasual Dead? Time Spent Up 7% YoY58:37 How Big Is Mobile Game Ad Revenue, Really?1:02:20 Google & Epic Settle: Google Play Fees Unbundled1:09:06 Bad-Faith Compliance?Disclaimer:Views expressed on Mobile Signal are those of the hosts and guests, not their employers.Josh Chandley does not hold individual publicly traded securities, including options and short positions.

CloudX just announced Agentic Buying, a move onto the demand side. CEO Jim Payne returns to explain whether it’s an ad network, a DSP, or something new. And whether CloudX can vertically integrate while still calling itself neutral.Chapters:1:23 – Traction: Adoption and Publisher Uplift4:35 – What TEE 2.0 Actually Is8:22 – Agentic Buying: Ad Network, DSP, or Something New?10:54 – Flat Take Rate vs. Arbitrage14:15 – How Targeting Works Without RTB18:51 – AI Creative: Agentic Playables and Video23:23 – What "Neutral" Really Means29:58 – What Stops CloudX From Becoming the Incumbent?33:38 – The Uplift Denominator: Compared to What?38:24 – Do You Compete With Traditional Mediators?40:58 – The 18-Month View42:27 – Convince the SkepticIf you work in mobile UA, ad monetization, or run a publishing business weighing CloudX against your current setup, this one is built for you. Subscribe to Mobile Signal for mechanism-level decodes of the biggest moves in mobile ad tech.Disclaimer:Views expressed on Mobile Signal are those of the hosts and guests, not their employers.Josh Chandley does not hold individual publicly traded securities, including options and short positions.

AppLovin is the apex predator of in-app ads, and it just keeps pulling away. 59% revenue growth, 90% incremental flow-through to EBITDA, and self-serve going global this month. So can anyone actually catch it?Host Josh Chandley (WildCard Games) decodes AppLovin's Q1 and the entire competitive field with two seats you rarely get in one room: financial analyst Matthew Kanterman (Blue River Financial Group) on the numbers, and Vincent Février (ex-MoPub mediation, Tap Nation) on the demand and supply sides.Chapters00:00 AppLovin: The Apex Predator of In-App Ads02:07 Insights on AppLovin06:13 The Self-Serve Moment16:24 The Impact on Gaming Advertisers24:13 Strategic Shift to Consumer Apps31:57 The Impact of Self-Serve on App Monetization37:34 The Role of Targeting in Ad Monetization38:15 AppLovin's New Social Media Venture42:05 Unity's Strategic Shift Post-Iron Source55:49 Meta's Potential Return to iOS1:01:59 Winter is coming.01:08:13 Google's Position01:13:03 Ranking Network Competitors01:16:00 CloudX: A New Player in the Market01:20:18 Future PredictionsDisclaimer:Views expressed on Mobile Signal are those of the hosts and guests, not their employers.

Rewarded user acquisition has always carried a reputation problem: users show up for the rewards… then disappear. But adjoe's data says the opposite. That’s why they ranked #6 on AppsFlyer’s iOS Gaming Power Index. In this episode, Josh Chandley sits down with Thomas Yannopoulos, VP Revenue Americas, to explain how a rewarded platform beat Meta, one of the biggest networks in mobile on quality, not just volume.They break down how Adjoe transformed the traditional “offer wall” into a loyalty-powered acquisition engine by integrating with massive consumer ecosystems like Fetch, Payback, fintech apps, QSR loyalty programs, and potentially even airline rewards systems.Thomas also explains why most companies still misunderstand gaming audiences, why rewarded acquisition behaves differently inside lifestyle apps, and how incentive structures can actually improve long-term retention instead of destroying it.If you work in mobile gaming, user acquisition, ad tech, monetization, loyalty products, fintech, or performance marketing — this conversation goes deep into one of the most misunderstood channels in mobile growth.Subscribe for more conversations on mobile gaming, ad monetization, growth systems, and the future of performance marketing.#mobilegaming #useracquisition #adtech #gamingindustry #performancemarketing #mobileapps #rewardedads #ua #loyaltyprograms #monetizationDisclaimer:Views expressed on Mobile Signal are those of the hosts and guests, not their employers.