What are rewarded video ads?
An ad the viewer asks for. Here is how the format works, where it runs, and what it is good for.
By The Generated Worlds editors · Published
A rewarded video ad is an opt-in ad: the viewer presses a button to watch it, and gets a reward — a free episode, a game life, in-app currency — only when it finishes. Because they chose it and want the reward, viewers watch to the end instead of skipping. The format is common in mobile games and short-drama apps, and is now available on the web.
Generated Worlds sells rewarded ad placements and publishes this guide, so the section on where to buy them includes us. The rest describes the format the way any platform that runs it would.
Most video advertising interrupts something: a pre-roll before the video you wanted, an ad slotted into a feed you were scrolling. A rewarded ad works the other way round. The viewer is offered a deal — watch this, get that — and the ad only plays if they take it.
The steps
The viewer is offered a reward
At a natural moment — out of lives, out of coins, at a paid episode — the app offers something for watching an ad.
They choose to watch
Nothing plays until they press the button, so everyone who sees the ad has agreed to see it.
The ad plays to the end
There is no skip button; closing early forfeits the reward, and the viewer is usually told so.
The reward is paid
Only after the ad completes, which is why completion is the number rewarded ads are measured on.
The advertiser's button stays live
Most rewarded units show the advertiser's name and a call to action during the ad and on an end card.
Why rewarded ads get watched
- Consent. The viewer opted in, so the ad is the thing they asked for rather than the thing in their way.
- Incentive to finish. The reward depends on completion, so the viewer's interest and the advertiser's point the same direction.
- Attention. Rewarded ads usually play full screen with nothing else running.
- Goodwill. The advertiser is the reason the viewer got something free, rather than the reason they had to wait.
Where rewarded ads run
The format grew up in mobile games, where networks such as Google AdMob, AppLovin and Unity sell rewarded placements inside thousands of apps. Short-drama apps adopted it to let viewers earn free episodes. Google Ad Manager also supports rewarded ads on websites. Buying through a network puts your ad across many apps you do not choose; buying from a single platform puts it in front of one audience you can describe.
What rewarded ads are good for — and not
They are strong for anything that needs a full, attentive watch: explaining a product, showing a tool in action, a demo that only makes sense at the end. They are weaker for pure reach at the lowest price, where a feed ad seen for a second by many more people may cost less per impression. And the viewer's first intent is the reward, so a clear button and a clear offer matter more than in formats where the viewer came for the ad.
Common questions
Can viewers skip a rewarded ad?
Not and keep the reward. A rewarded ad has no skip button; a viewer can usually close it, but then they are not rewarded, and most apps tell them so before they leave.
How long is a rewarded video ad?
Typically 15 to 30 seconds. On Generated Worlds, video ads run 6 to 30 seconds and the viewer is rewarded only when the whole ad has played; image ads are shown for 10 seconds.
Are rewarded ads only for mobile games?
No. Games made the format popular, but short-drama apps use it for free episodes and websites can run it too. What matters is having a reward the viewer genuinely wants.
How do I buy rewarded ads on Generated Worlds?
Self-serve at generatedworlds.com/advertise: choose a monthly plan, upload a video or image with a headline and link, and a person approves it before it plays. Starter is $299 a month for up to 2,000 completed views; Growth is $2,999 a month with first place in every run, no view cap and category exclusivity.
Keep reading
Advertise here
Rewarded ads on Generated Worlds are self-serve: choose a monthly plan, upload a video or image, and a person approves it before it plays. Viewers opt in, can’t skip, and you see every completed view.