MUMBAI: For years, mobile gaming ads have tried to hook users through endless pop-ups, flashy in-app banners, and intrusive five-second videos that you just can’t skip. But Krafton and Moloco had a different game plan—Connected TV (CTV) advertising. And judging by the numbers, they just cracked the next big marketing play.
Krafton, the publisher behind Pubg: Battlegrounds and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), went all-in on CTV ads via LG channels to launch Cookierun India, a localised version of Devsisters’ globally popular Cookierun series. Why? Because while mobile ads target app users, CTV taps into a much bigger screen with an audience that’s notoriously hard to reach. And as it turns out, when you see a fast-paced, sugar-fueled game running on your TV, you’re far more likely to download it.
Krafton realised that while traditional TV commercials (TVCs) build brand awareness, they lack precise performance measurement. Enter Moloco’s CTV ads, which not only put Cookierun India in front of TV audiences but also let Krafton track how many users installed the game after seeing the ad.
By integrating Moloco’s CTV platform with LG Channels, a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service, the campaign strategically placed ads on major Indian channels like NDTV and India TV. That meant Cookierun India wasn’t just reaching gamers—it was reaching families, casual viewers, and people who never considered downloading a mobile game before.
The results? CTV didn’t just work—it outperformed expectations:
● 22 per cent of users acquired through Moloco’s mobile app campaigns were also exposed to CTV ads—and these users showed two times higher D1 retention than those who only saw mobile ads.
● 14 per cent of CTV viewers were entirely new users, proving that smart TV ads bring in fresh audiences.
● Users acquired through CTV ads had 20 per cent higher D1 retention and 37 per cent higher D7 retention than those from mobile-only campaigns.
Retention in mobile gaming is the holy grail, and CTV just schooled mobile ads in keeping users engaged.
Krafton head of the India performance marketing team Sangbum Kim summed it up, “Moloco’s CTV advertising maximises campaign efficiency through a data-driven approach and differentiates itself from traditional TV advertising by enabling performance measurement. The users acquired through the CTV campaign have shown high retention, proving its potential as a new and effective marketing channel. We expect it to have a positive impact on our future campaign strategies.”
Moloco Korea country manager JaeKyun Ahn added, “This collaboration has demonstrated that CTV advertising is an effective way to reach TV audiences that are difficult to access through mobile app ads, while also enabling advertisers to accurately measure performance. By leveraging CTV channels alongside mobile app campaigns, advertisers can further expand their reach, and this can also serve as a key marketing strategy to acquire high-value users, especially when launching new games.”
With CTV proving its worth, expect more game publishers to take their campaigns beyond mobile screens. Krafton and Moloco’s partnership just set a new standard for game launches in India.
