Gaming is the third most popular media platform among Gen Alpha according to a new study from Precise TV and Giraffe Insights. According to their latest survey of 3,000 U.S. kids ages two to 12 and their parents, gaming only follows YouTube and VOD streaming apps in use.
Per the firm’s Precise Advertiser Report: Kids (PARK), 91% of kids said they played games. Mobile gaming (59%) was the most popular platform, followed by consoles (44%) and PC (25%).
When comparing their recent media consumption, 55% of Gen Alpha reported playing games on a mobile phone or tablet with a further 45% saying they played video games on other devices. In contrast, 81% said they watched YouTube while over 60% used VOD streaming platforms over the same timeframe.
According to Precise TV, the gap between YouTube and other media platforms has grown. Its year-over-year data shows YouTube saw a 30% increase in kids using the platform. Meanwhile, both paid and free VOD services saw significant declines -– down 53% and 40% respectively.
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PARK did not include data on time spent playing games, but the results show how much competition there is for Gen Alpha’s attention. On average, Gen Alpha watches YouTube, VOD streaming, broadcast TV, TikTok and YouTube Shorts for at least 90 minutes each per day.
Games as an ad channel for Gen Alpha
YouTube has the highest ad recall rate among kids, but gaming is on par with other major advertising channels. About a quarter of Gen Alpha consumers recalled seeing an ad while playing mobile games — roughly the same amount that remembered seeing ads on TikTok, broadcast TV and Facebook.
“With the global kids digital advertising market expected to surpass a value of $21.1 billion by the end of 2031, there’s a significant opportunity for targeted, effective, and ethical advertising that speaks directly to young gamers and drives high engagement for brands,” said Denis Crushell, chief commercial officer at Precise TV.
While gaming is a growing advertising channel, PARK found mobile gaming ads drove 5% of kids most recent purchases. This made in-game mobile advertising about as effective as a commercial on a VOD streaming app. However, gaming ads lag behind other media channels — specifically YouTube (16%), TikTok (10%) and seeing an item in-store (10%) — in driving recent purchases.
Precise TV’s latest report on Gen Alpha is available now and includes more information on co-viewing, shorts and favorite brands and franchises.