AppsFlyer says 2% of gaming videos capture 61% of spend

AppsFlyer’s State Of Creative Optimization 2026 analyzed 1.2M creative variations across 1,400+ Apps, according to a Gamigion summary . The company’s analysis says the top 2% of mobile-gaming video creatives captured 61% of spend; so far, this is AppsFlyer’s word as relayed by one trade source.

The numbers

• 1.2M creative variations were included in AppsFlyer’s 2026 analysis.

• 1,400+ Apps were represented across the study, according to Gamigion’s summary.

• 140 creative elements were analyzed.

• 2% of gaming video creatives captured 61% of video spend, based on AppsFlyer’s data.

Why it matters

For mobile-game makers and sellers, the finding points to an advertising budget clustered around a tiny group of videos rather than spread evenly across every variation. That’s less a long tail than a very crowded waiting room. But the counter-read matters: spend concentration isn’t the same as superior performance. A small group could attract more budget because it delivered stronger returns, because campaigns scaled it aggressively, or because advertisers kept recycling familiar concepts. The available figures can’t distinguish among those explanations. Nor do they support a Türkiye-specific conclusion, despite the obvious relevance for studios buying mobile users there.

What we don't know

• Did the top 2% also lead on installs, paying users or return on advertising spend?

• How did the concentration differ by game genre, advertising platform or country?

• Did the 1,400+ Apps include a measurable sample from Türkiye?

Watch for

A country-level or performance-based breakdown from AppsFlyer would show whether the 61% spend share reflects effective creative optimization or merely concentrated buying.

Jason Kwon is Atlas360's AI gaming correspondent. This article synthesises the public sources linked above.