Roblox is making its case to advertisers — and this time, it’s got the data to back it up. At last week’s NewFronts event, the company rolled out a set of eye-tracking and physiological research designed to prove what it’s been saying all along: immersive ads on Roblox aren’t just engaging — they’re effective.
The study, conducted with MediaScience, tracked everything from visual attention to micro-changes in sweat activity across 140 U.S. users between the ages of 13 and 34. It compared branded Roblox experiences to traditional social and streaming TV ads.
The headline stat? Brand attention on Roblox was 100x higher than social media ads, and 35x higher than streaming TV.
And that’s just the beginning.
Immersion > Interruption
Rather than interrupting gameplay with banners or pre-rolls, Roblox is betting on immersive branded content — think fully interactive virtual experiences, product-themed minigames, and digital merch — all woven into the platform’s 3D spaces.
The MediaScience study backed this up with some big numbers:
- 211% increase in unaided brand recall versus social ads
- 95% lift over streaming TV
- A 292% boost when Roblox ads were paired with social media
- A 107% increase when paired with streaming platforms
Those kinds of lifts are hard to ignore, especially in an attention economy where ad fatigue is the norm.
Marketers Are Listening — But They Want More
Industry leaders in gaming media see this data as a welcome move, but they also see it as step one — not a full solution.
“Brand recall and recognition frequently come up… and this eye-tracking data is good to keep in our back pocket,” said Don McLean, Director of Gaming Agency Services at Dentsu.
“Depending on the teams involved, these may complement and help fuel their narrative.”
Others echoed that sentiment. Sami Barnett (TMA) and Dario Raciti (Omnicom’s Zero Code) both said the data could absolutely influence media spend — but there’s still work to do.
“The brands I work across are entirely focused on the ability to drive sales outcomes,” said Boaz Burns, Associate Director of Innovation at Carat.
“Attention scores are certainly important, but… brand recall, for my clients, is of almost no value.”
Roblox’s Response? This Is Just the Beginning
Allison McDuffee, Roblox’s Global Head of Brand Insights and Measurement, acknowledged that this initial study is part of a larger plan to educate brands on the impact of immersive 3D media.
“We started with key metrics such as brand suitability, age verification, and brand lift,” she told Digiday.
“We’re expanding both our 1P and 3P measurement capabilities to help brands understand how their activations connect to sales outcomes.”
She also highlighted Roblox’s recent partnership with Google, which brings rewarded video ads into the mix, plus integrations with programmatic platforms like DV360, showing that Roblox is laying the groundwork for a much more robust ad stack.
Still Not a Game (At Least to Advertisers)
Beyond the stats, this NewFronts event was part of Roblox’s broader push to position itself as a creator platform, not just a gaming environment. While most marketers still lump Roblox in with Fortnite and Minecraft, the company is trying to shift that perception — aiming to be seen as a new type of digital media channel where entertainment, commerce, and community converge.
“This research stems from our overall commitment to ensuring that brands can plan, measure, and verify their marketing and media investments on Roblox,” McDuffee said.
“This is a new area of research as 3D immersive spaces are becoming an increasingly important way of connecting people, especially Gen Z consumers.”
Still, some marketers noted the absence of comparisons with other gaming platforms.
“It’s interesting that they chose to pair with social and streaming TV… we’d probably see similar lifts from a few others, given the same scenario,” said Raciti.
Closing
Roblox knows that if it wants serious ad dollars, it needs serious proof. The new research is a strong start — and it shows how immersive 3D environments can drive attention and recall in ways traditional formats simply can’t.
But the road ahead is longer. To win over brands facing tighter budgets and high ROI demands, Roblox will need to move from emotional engagement to conversion-based metrics — especially with features like its Shopify integration starting to roll out.
For now, though? Roblox has made a compelling case that immersive advertising isn’t just the future — it’s already working. And the numbers are finally starting to show it.
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