APAC sees 'massive' growth in mobile ad requests

Both mobile ad requests and eCPMs (effective CPMs) are on the rise globally, with APAC leading the way, according to Smaato's Global Trends in Mobile Advertising H2 2018 report.

APAC ad requests grew 44% between the second half of 2017 and the same period in 2018, and APAC was the highest growth region across all metrics, according to the report. India in particular stood out, with 425% growth in mobile ad requests—more than twice the growth rate of the fastest growing markets in EMEA and the Americas (Spain at 152% and the US at 170%). India’s "meteoric" growth is characteristic of an emerging mobile market where mobile device ownership, time spent on mobile, and app downloads are all rising quickly, the company said.

Globally, eCPMs rose 32% and mobile ad requests rose 27% in the second half of 2018, compared to the same period in 2017.

“The impressive ad request and eCPM growth in APAC are driven by app developers finding new ways to better monetize their content even as consumers are spending more time on apps," Alex Khan, APAC MD at Smaato, said in a release. "Advertisers from all verticals are realizing that apps are where consumers are—and they are directing more funds into this channel.”

The report also contains information on inventory value post-GDPR, which categories get the most mobile ad dollars, the growth of 'rewarded' video, and this chart about mobile spending in China leading up to Singles Day: