LoopMe Launches Chartboost Direct to Connect Brands with App Publishers

LoopMe launched Chartboost Direct on April 9, 2026, a new platform designed to bring brand advertising budgets directly into mobile apps without requiring publishers to rebuild their existing ad technology setup.

The launch targets a structural gap in mobile advertising: brand dollars have historically flowed to websites, while app publishers have been limited mainly to performance-based campaigns focused on app installs.

Three-Tier Deal Structure Removes Infrastructure Barrier

Chartboost Direct offers publishers three ways to access brand spending. Direct Pay allows publishers to receive payments from brand partners through their existing Chartboost SDK setup. Direct Deals lets publishers create private marketplace placements. Marketplace Deals packages inventory using deal IDs within mediation auctions.

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The platform connects publishers to more than 100 global sellers and major demand-side and supply-side platforms. LoopMe CEO Stephen Upstone stated that as web traffic declines, "brands need alternative inventory sources with direct supply paths," describing Chartboost Direct as offering "higher CPMs, cleaner supply paths, better UX and sustainable brand demand for mobile app publishers."

Mike Laband, Group SVP of US Revenue at Magnite, added that the platform provides "an alternative path directly into quality in-app publisher environments" with "AI-enriched bid streams" that supply accurate brand signals and measurement.

Audience Migration Away from Web Drives Timing

LoopMe's research documents a measurable shift in how people spend time online. Up to 19% of generative AI tool users now spend more time on mobile gaming apps, while approximately one in five report spending less time browsing the web. Nearly three in 10 users report using AI tools more than traditional search engines, compared to only 15% who report increased search engine usage.

These behavioral changes directly erode the web inventory model that brand advertisers have relied on, creating urgency for publishers to access brand budgets through app environments.

Asia-Pacific Publishers Face a Significant Opportunity

Regional data reinforces the commercial case for Chartboost Direct in Asia. In-app programmatic advertising is projected to account for 20% of ad budgets across Asia over the next 12 months, ahead of mobile web at 17% and connected TV at 16%.

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China leads the region, with 81% of in-app advertisers aligning spend with branding objectives rather than pure performance goals. A partnership between PubMatic and AnyMind has already demonstrated that connecting Southeast Asian publishers from China, Vietnam, and Korea to global demand platforms through SDK integrations can improve fill rates and revenue per impression, providing a regional precedent for the model Chartboost Direct employs.

Background and Platform Capabilities

In-app advertising has historically lacked the data signals, measurement tools, and supply-path transparency that brand advertisers require. Publishers have also navigated fragmented reseller arrangements that reduced pricing and demand access.

Chartboost Direct addresses these gaps by combining LoopMe's AI-enriched bid stream technology with a first-party data management platform. The platform also includes faster rendering for display and video formats. Playable ads, which saw a 4x increase in adoption in 2025 across both gaming and non-gaming apps, represent one of the ad formats brand advertisers are increasingly prioritizing in app environments.

LoopMe operates Chartboost as part of its broader intelligent marketplace offering, which focuses on brand outcome measurement across mobile and connected TV inventory.