by Look, I’ve been reviewing ad networks for gaming sites for years now, and the landscape in 2026 is honestly pretty wild. The consolidation that started way back has continued, but there’s also been this interesting fragmentation where specialized networks are thriving because they actually understand niche audiences. Gaming websites in particular have gotten smarter about diversification—nobody’s betting their whole revenue stream on one network anymore, and for good reason.
When publishers come to me asking “what’s the best ad network for my gaming site,” I have to push back a little. There is no single best network. What works for a site with 500K monthly uniques doing retro indie reviews is completely different from what works for a competitive gaming esports site pulling 50 million monthly sessions. The networks themselves have figured this out too, which is why they’re getting better at vertical-specific solutions rather than trying to be everything to everyone.
So I’ve put together this detailed roundup of the ten networks that are genuinely moving the needle for gaming publishers right now. These aren’t just big names—they’re networks I’ve either personally worked with, have worked with clients using, or have tracked closely enough to understand their real strengths and weaknesses. I’m going to be completely honest about what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, what the actual money looks like.
Quick Comparison Table
| Network | Best For | Min Payout | Rough CPM Range | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google AdSense/AdX | General gaming, all traffic types | $100 | $2-$15 | 8.5/10 |
| Mediavine | Mid-size publishers, premium content | $25K/month | $8-$25 | 8/10 |
| AdThrive | Gaming content creators, YouTube crossover | $100K/year revenue | $7-$22 | 7.5/10 |
| Hubbard Broadcasting (Sharethrough) | Native advertising, discovery feeds | $10K | $4-$14 | 7/10 |
| BuySellAds Direct | Premium sponsors, niche audiences | Variable | $15-$50+ | 8/10 |
| Sortable Media | Header bidding, programmatic gaming | $5K | $3-$18 | 8.5/10 |
| Infolinks | In-text monetization, budget audiences | $50 | $1-$8 | 5.5/10 |
| Conversant (ValueClick legacy) | Existing networks, mid-market publishers | $10K | $2-$12 | 6.5/10 |
| GumGum | Brand safety, premium campaigns | $25K | $6-$20 | 7.5/10 |
| Outbrain/Taboola | Traffic monetization, content recommendations | Revenue share | $2-$8 | 6.5/10 |
1. Google AdSense/Google AdX
Let me be straight with you: Google is still the baseline for most gaming sites. AdSense is their consumer product—you probably know it—but if you’re serious about gaming monetization, you need to think about AdX (formerly DoubleClick for Publishers). AdX is the programmatic exchange where the real money lives. You can’t just sign up for AdX like you can AdSense; you need to go through an approved partner or be a large publisher, but if you can get in, it’s worth it.
Google AdSense works for basically everyone because the barrier to entry is basically zero. You slap some code on your site and you’re earning money within hours. The problem is that the CPM rates are, frankly, terrible for most traffic unless you’re getting really high-quality Tier 1 country visits. For a gaming site pulling mostly US and Western European traffic, you’re looking at $8-$15 CPM on a good day. But if your traffic skews toward India, Southeast Asia, or other emerging markets, you’re down to $2-$4 CPM. That’s just how it works.
The real insight here is that Google works best as a baseline—a safety net that’s always going to have demand and always going to fill inventory. But if that’s your only monetization stream, you’re leaving money on the table. A lot of money.
Who it works best for: New gaming publishers who don’t have the traffic to qualify for better networks. Also works as a foundation for larger publishers who layer other networks on top. If you’re just starting out and getting 10K monthly uniques, this is where you start.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1 (US/UK/Canada gaming traffic): $6-$15. Tier 3 (emerging markets): $1-$4. Desktop performs better than mobile, but mobile is where gaming traffic actually lives, so expect mobile rates to run about 30-40% lower.
Pros: Huge demand, instant approval, payments work reliably, reporting is solid, works on any site setup. You’re never going to get rejected or have your account randomly terminated if you follow the rules.
Cons: CPM rates are just… not great unless you have premium traffic. The interface is clunky. Support is basically nonexistent. Google prioritizes their own products, so if you’re not using Google’s other services optimally, you’re handicapping yourself. Minimum payout is $100, which sounds low but you have to wait until you hit that balance, and they hold payment until the 21st-26th of the following month.
Skip if: You’re getting enough traffic to qualify for Mediavine or better networks, because you’ll make 2-3x more money.
2. Mediavine
Mediavine is the network that legitimized mid-market publisher monetization. They’ve been around since 2012, and they’ve stayed focused on doing one thing really well: making money for publishers who have enough traffic to be interesting but aren’t massive. They require 25K monthly uniques minimum, which actually eliminates a lot of small publishers, but that’s kind of the point. They don’t want scale at any cost; they want quality.
The reason Mediavine matters for gaming specifically is that they really understand gaming audiences. They’ve invested in understanding how gaming content performs, what kind of ads actually convert for game developers and esports sponsors, and how to price inventory correctly. This might sound basic, but you’d be shocked how many networks just treat all traffic the same.
One thing I need to be real about: Mediavine takes a 25% cut. They’re transparent about it, but that’s meaningful. When you’re looking at a $10 CPM from them, that’s $7.50 to you. But here’s the thing—their CPM rates are legitimately 50-75% higher than AdSense for equivalent traffic, so the math still works out heavily in their favor. A gaming site that was making $3K/month on AdSense might make $10K/month on Mediavine.
Who it works best for: Gaming websites with 25K-500K monthly uniques that want predictable, solid income and don’t want to futz with multiple networks. Also really good for gaming YouTube channels that need off-platform monetization. They’re especially strong with indie game coverage and esports content.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1 US gaming traffic: $12-$25 (before their cut). Tier 3 traffic: $6-$14. They’re honest that gaming actually performs better than a lot of other verticals for them—game developers and esports organizations spend real money on advertising.
Pros: Genuinely helpful support team. Reports and analytics are clean and easy to understand. They have really good brand safety practices, so you’re not getting weird ads on your gaming site. Payment is reliable and they actually explain CPM fluctuations. They invest in new ad formats and keeping their product current.
Cons: That 25% cut stings. Minimum traffic requirement locks out smaller publishers. They’re somewhat conservative with approval—they won’t approve sites with aggressive monetization or certain design patterns they think are sketchy. Minimum payout is $25K monthly earnings, which means you need decent traffic. They also require you to not use certain other networks, which can limit your flexibility.
Skip if: You’re under 25K monthly uniques, or if you want to experiment with a dozen different networks simultaneously.
3. AdThrive
AdThrive is interesting because they started as a YouTube network and expanded into general web publishing. For gaming specifically, they’ve built something special because so many gaming creators exist on both YouTube and their own sites. They want to be your unified monetization partner across platforms.
The requirement to join AdThrive is a bit unusual—you need to be making $100K+ in annual revenue already. This isn’t a traffic minimum; it’s a revenue minimum. That’s actually pretty smart because it means they’re only working with publishers who have already proven they can make money. There’s no guesswork about whether you’re viable.
What makes them attractive for gaming is that they understand the creator economy. A lot of gaming creators have a YouTube channel, a blog, maybe a Twitch channel, and they want one partner who gets the whole ecosystem. AdThrive doesn’t fully solve that (they’re not on Twitch, for example), but they try harder than most to think about it holistically.
Who it works best for: Gaming creators and publishers already making serious money who want to consolidate partnerships. Gaming YouTubers with significant audiences who also have web properties. Content creators who value education and support over just being another line item.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1 gaming traffic: $10-$22. Tier 3: $5-$12. YouTube traffic tends to convert slightly better than web traffic for them, which makes sense given their origins.
Pros: Really good support and actual human onboarding. They do quarterly education webinars specifically about gaming monetization. Payment is reliable and frequent. They’re transparent about demand. You can use them alongside YouTube’s native monetization without conflicts. The platform itself is cleaner than most.
Cons: The revenue requirement means you can’t start with them; you have to graduate into them from somewhere else. Their CPM rates, while good, aren’t meaningfully better than Mediavine. They take a 30% cut. Minimum payout is $25 but the threshold to withdraw is actually when you hit $1,000, and they hold it. Limited to certain types of ad formats.
Skip if: You’re still growing your revenue or you want experimental ad formats. They’re also not the best choice if you’re seriously gaming the algorithm or using aggressive monetization tactics.
4. Sortable Media
Sortable is the network that serious publishers layer in for header bidding and programmatic optimization. They’re not your only network; they’re the network you add to make your other networks work better. This is important to understand because it changes how you think about them.
Here’s what they do: Sortable gets access to demand from hundreds of advertisers and uses real-time bidding to find the highest-price buyer for every single ad impression. That sounds technical because it is, but the practical upshot is that you’re not leaving money on the table by having your ads go to just one demand source. You’re letting the market decide the price for every impression.
For gaming sites specifically, this matters a lot because gaming has really fractured advertiser bases. A game developer might want to reach players of a specific game. An esports sponsor might want to reach competitive game viewers. A hardware manufacturer might want to reach performance-focused gamers. Sortable’s demand is diverse enough to capture a lot of those different buyer types.
Who it works best for: Gaming publishers already using AdSense or other networks who want to increase revenue without abandoning their current setup. Sites getting 50K+ monthly uniques where every percentage point of revenue increase matters. Publishers who are technical enough to implement header bidding.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1 gaming: $6-$18. Tier 3: $2-$10. The range is wide because header bidding results vary based on what your other networks are doing—they’re fighting with your other demand sources, which is exactly the point.
Pros: Actually increases revenue when properly implemented. Works alongside your existing networks rather than replacing them. Real-time bidding means rates fluctuate based on actual demand, which can be really good if you’re hitting players during seasonal events or big game launches. Implementation is relatively straightforward. Support is responsive.
Cons: Requires technical setup—if you’re not comfortable with ad code, you need a developer. The minimum is $5K in monthly earnings, which means you need decent traffic. Reporting can be confusing because you’re tracking multiple demand sources. Sometimes header bidding can slow down your page load if not configured right, which hurts gaming sites especially (where page speed matters for UX). Takes 30 days to start seeing real results.
Skip if: You’re not technical and can’t get developer help. Also skip if you’re still trying to maximize a single network’s performance—get that dialed in first.
5. BuySellAds Direct
BuySellAds is different from the other networks on this list because it’s actually a direct sales platform. You’re not selling impressions to a network that sells them to advertisers. You’re selling directly to advertisers who come to the BuySellAds marketplace looking to sponsor gaming sites.
This is why CPM rates are so high on BuySellAds—there’s no middleman tax cutting into the rate. A $50 CPM on BuySellAds means you’re actually getting close to $50 per thousand impressions, not $50 minus several layers of cuts. The tradeoff is that you have to actively sell—you can’t just put code on your page and walk away.
For gaming sites, this works really well because gaming has a ton of sponsor interest. Game companies want to sponsor gaming blogs. Esports organizations want to sponsor competitive gaming coverage. Hardware companies want to sponsor performance-focused content. These are all sponsors who are happy to pay premium rates because they know gaming audiences are valuable and targeted.
Who it works best for: Gaming publishers with strong, engaged audiences that sponsors want to reach. Esports sites, competitive gaming coverage, new game release coverage, streaming-adjacent content. Basically, if your audience is specific enough that a company would want to sponsor you directly, BuySellAds works.
Real CPM numbers: This is where it gets interesting. I’ve seen gaming sponsors pay $20-$50+ CPM on BuySellAds for targeted placements. But here’s the reality: you might not fill 100% of inventory. More realistic scenario is you fill 40-60% of your inventory at $25-$40 CPM, then run programmatic ads on the unsold inventory. So your effective blended CPM might be $15-$20.
Pros: Highest CPM rates available. You can vet sponsors and turn down ones that don’t fit your brand. Direct relationships with advertisers mean better creative, more collaborative sponsorships, longer-term deals. Revenue can be really substantial if you land even a few good sponsors. BuySellAds handles all the logistics and payment.
Cons: You won’t fill all your inventory unless you actively promote available sponsorships. Takes time and effort to build sponsor relationships. Not suitable for all traffic types or site designs—sponsors want meaningful placements, not just banner ads in the footer. Minimum is variable but they want your site to have some authority and audience first. Revenue is less predictable than programmatic networks.
Skip if: You don’t want to do sales work, or if your audience is too broad and generic to attract premium sponsors. Also skip if you want 100% inventory filled—that’s not how direct sales works.
6. Sharethrough (Hubbard Broadcasting)
Sharethrough is interesting because it’s owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, which gives it resources but also a specific point of view. They focus heavily on native advertising and content discovery feeds. If you’ve ever seen a “You might like these articles” widget at the bottom of gaming content, that’s probably Sharethrough.
The reason this matters for gaming is that gaming content naturally encourages discovery behavior. Someone finishes reading a guide about a particular game and wants to find related content. Or they finish a review and want to see similar reviews. Native ads and discovery feed ads fit that user behavior really naturally, which means better performance and higher CPM rates than standard banner ads.
Who it works best for: Gaming sites focused on content (guides, reviews, coverage, news) rather than tools or databases. Sites that benefit from readers discovering more content. Indie game coverage, esports journalism, game reviews. Less suitable for gaming databases or tool-focused sites.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1 US gaming: $8-$14. Tier 3: $3-$7. These rates are decent but not amazing—the value proposition is more that native ads disrupt less and cause less bounce rate compared to standard display ads, so you’re making revenue while keeping your audience happy.
Pros: Native ad format performs well with gaming audiences. Minimum payout is only $10K which is lower than most networks. Implementation is straightforward. Can see meaningful revenue without huge traffic numbers. Supports multiple ad formats. Relatively straightforward to use.
Cons: CPM rates aren’t competitive with specialized gaming networks for premium traffic. Discovery feeds aren’t equally suitable for all gaming sites—tool sites or databases don’t benefit as much. Revenue can be unpredictable because it depends on user engagement with the content recommendations. Support is okay but not exceptional. Less transparent about demand and pricing than some competitors.
Skip if: You’re already running Mediavine or another premium network that includes native formats, or if your site focuses on tools/databases rather than content.
7. GumGum
GumGum is a brand safety and contextual advertising platform. What that means in practice is they use AI to understand the context of where ads appear, and they make sure ads only show up in appropriate environments. For gaming, this is actually really valuable because it means fewer of those weird, sketchy ads that ruin the user experience.
From a publisher perspective, GumGum gives you access to premium advertisers who care about brand safety. These advertisers will pay more for inventory that’s actually contextually appropriate and safe, rather than just throwing money at cheap inventory everywhere. That’s good for you, the publisher, because it means higher CPM rates.
The challenging part is that GumGum is expensive to work with—they have high minimum requirements and they’re selective about partners. But if you qualify, it’s worth it.
Who it works best for: Premium gaming publishers (esports coverage, AAA game reviews, high-traffic competitive gaming sites) who care about brand safety and don’t want sketchy advertising diluting their content. Not for general, low-moderation gaming communities.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1 gaming: $10-$20. Tier 3: $4-$12. These are strong rates driven by their brand safety focus—advertisers paying premium prices for trustworthy inventory.
Pros: CPM rates are legitimately good. Brand safety focus means fewer terrible ads on your site, which improves user experience. Advertiser quality is high. Direct relationship with a support team that actually understands your business. Works well as a complement to other networks.
Cons: $25K minimum monthly earnings requirement. Approval is selective and takes time. Takes a percentage of revenue (varies). Requires significant traffic and established audience first. Less suitable for small or new publishers.
Skip if: You’re under $25K monthly revenue, or if you’re okay with lower-quality advertising in exchange for maximum fill rates.
8. Infolinks
Infolinks is the budget network on this list, and I’m including them because they do actually serve a purpose: they monetize traffic that other networks don’t monetize well. Specifically, they focus on in-text advertising (ads within article text) and content recommendations.
The reality is that many gaming publishers—especially those covering smaller games, indie games, or niche gaming content—don’t get the kind of premium traffic that justifies premium network fees. For those publishers, Infolinks is better than nothing and sometimes better than you’d expect.
I’m going to be honest though: Infolinks is kind of a last resort. If you can get approval for Mediavine, Sortable, or Sharethrough, those are all better choices. But Infolinks is the network that still says yes when others say no, which has value.
Who it works best for: Small gaming publishers under 25K monthly uniques. Gaming sites focused on very niche topics with small but loyal audiences. Publishers who want to experiment with monetization without big requirements.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1: $3-$8. Tier 3: $0.50-$3. These are low rates, which is why Infolinks is a last resort, but they’re better than a blank check.
Pros: Super low barrier to entry—you don’t need much traffic to qualify. Minimum payout is $50, which is very low. Implementation is easy. They’ll work with basically anyone who isn’t doing something overtly terrible.
Cons: CPM rates are genuinely bad. In-text ads can be annoying to readers. Not transparent about how rates are calculated. Support is limited. No one who qualifies for better networks should use this. Revenue is unpredictable and often disappointing.
Skip if: You have any option at all for a better network. This is really only for people who literally can’t get approved elsewhere.
9. Conversant (formerly ValueClick)
Conversant is a legacy network that’s been around forever (they were ValueClick back in the day). They pivoted significantly to focus on performance marketing, but they still have publisher partnerships. The reason they’re on this list is that they’re viable for publishers who’ve been around a while or who have existing relationships.
Honestly, Conversant isn’t anyone’s first choice anymore. They’re a choice for publishers who already have established accounts, or for networks managing multiple properties who want consolidation. The market has moved on from legacy ad networks to programmatic and specialized networks.
Who it works best for: Publishers with existing Conversant relationships. Mid-market gaming publishers who want to consolidate multiple network relationships. Probably not a good first choice for anyone.
Real CPM numbers: Tier 1: $4-$12. Tier 3: $1-$6. Rates are okay but not exceptional—nothing that would make someone choose Conversant over alternatives.
Pros: If you already work with them, minimizing disruption makes sense. They’ve been around forever so they’re reliable. Support exists if you’re an established partner.
Cons: CPM rates aren’t competitive. They’re not really investing in gaming-specific solutions. Minimum requirements are $10K. They feel dated compared to newer networks. Limited innovation in ad formats. Support is slow.
Skip if: You’re building a new monetization strategy. Really, unless you already have a Conversant account, there’s no reason to start one.
10. Outbrain/Taboola
These are basically the same network (different ownership, but similar positioning and products) so I’m treating them as one. They’re the big players in “content discovery and recommendation” monetization. You know how some sites have a widget at the bottom that shows “Recommended For You” content? That’s often Outbrain or Taboola.
The difference from Sharethrough is that Outbrain/Taboola focus more on external traffic monetization. They’re not just recommending your other content; they’re recommending content from other publishers and taking a cut when users click. You benefit from that traffic flowing through your site, and you share revenue with the network.
For gaming sites, this works okay for content-heavy sites but isn’t as relevant for other types of gaming properties. If you’re running esports news, game reviews, gaming guides, etc., there’s value here. If you’re running a gaming tool or database, less so.
Who it works best for: Gaming news and review sites. Esports coverage platforms. Gaming blogs with heavy content focus. Less suitable for tool sites, gaming databases, or communities.
Real CPM numbers: This is a revenue share model, not a CPM model. Typically you’d see $0.50-$2 per click from external traffic recommendations, and you’re splitting with the network. So your net is maybe $0.25-$1 per click. In CPM terms, that depends on your CTR, but rough estimate is $2-$8 CPM.
Pros: You don’t need to have inventory available or meet minimum traffic requirements—it works by adding recommendations alongside your existing content. Can generate meaningful revenue from otherwise unused traffic (users finishing reading an article). Revenue is stable and predictable month-to-month. Works on any site.
Cons: CPM rates are low compared to direct advertising. Revenue per click is declining industry-wide as more publishers use these services. The recommendations can be low-quality and embarrassing (clickbait). Doesn’t work well if your audience is already very engaged with your content. You have to split revenue with them. Limited control over who appears in recommendations—you might see your content next to competitors or worse sites.
Skip if: Your audience is already deeply engaged and you have better monetization options, or if you want more control over your content’s context and positioning.
How to Pick the Right Network for Your Gaming Site
Okay, so you’ve read about all these networks. How do you actually decide which one(s) are right for your gaming site? Here’s my framework:
Step 1: Assess your traffic and revenue baseline. How many monthly uniques are you getting? What’s your current monthly revenue? Be honest here. You need to know which networks are even available to you. If you’re under 10K monthly uniques, Infolinks is more realistic than Mediavine, even if Mediavine sounds better.
Step 2: Understand your traffic quality. Where does your traffic come from geographically? What percentage is Tier 1 (US, UK, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, Japan)? What percentage is Tier 2 (Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East)? What percentage is Tier 3 (India, Southeast Asia, Africa)? This matters enormously for CPM rates. A site with 100% Tier 1 US traffic will make 4-5x more per impression than a site with 80% Tier 3 traffic, even with the same network.
Step 3: Identify your content type. Are you doing news and reviews? Guides and tutorials? Competitive gaming coverage? Community discussion? Tool creation? This determines which networks make sense. Discovery-based networks work better for content. Direct sales (BuySellAds) work better for niche, sponsor-friendly content. Programmatic networks work better for broad traffic.
Step 4: Decide on complexity vs. earnings. Are you willing to implement header bidding? Run multiple networks simultaneously? Do active sponsor sales? Or do you want to set it and forget it? More complex setups earn more money, but they require time and technical skill. Be real about your capability and willingness.
Step 5: Make a prioritized list. Based on the above, which networks can you actually access? Rank them by how likely they are to work for your specific situation. If you meet Mediavine requirements, that should probably be at the top, even if Sortable has a higher ceiling—because Mediavine is more reliable and easier to use.
Step 6: Start with one or two networks, don’t try to launch five. Most successful publishers use 2-3 networks maximum. More networks means more complexity, more support requests, harder to track what’s actually working. Get one network performing well, then add a complementary network. For example: start with Mediavine for baseline, then add Sortable for header bidding uplift, then maybe add BuySellAds if you have sponsor appeal. Don’t launch with all five simultaneously.
Step 7: Monitor for 30 days minimum before judging. All these networks take time to optimize. Header bidding needs time to calibrate. Sponsor relationships need time to develop. Direct sales need time to prospect. Give networks a fair shake rather than switching constantly based on the first week’s numbers.
Five Questions People Actually Ask About Gaming Ad Networks
Q1: Can I use multiple ad networks at the same time?
A: Yes, but with some limitations. You can definitely use Mediavine + Sortable + BuySellAds together. You cannot typically use Mediavine + AdThrive together (they have exclusivity clauses). You can use Google AdSense + Sortable together. The key is checking the terms of each network. Most networks explicitly say whether they’re exclusive or whether they play nice with others. Strategic layering is actually smart—you use AdSense as a baseline floor for unsold inventory, Sortable as the header bidding layer on top of that, and maybe BuySellAds for premium sponsorship slots. That’s a solid stack that doesn’t create conflicts.
Q2: Why do CPM rates vary so much month to month?
A: Several factors. Seasonality matters a ton—gaming advertising spends are higher around holidays, new console launches, major esports tournaments. January is typically weaker (lower advertiser budgets), while October-December and June-August are stronger. Demand from specific advertisers fluctuates based on their campaign schedules. And frankly, your traffic composition matters—if 10% of your traffic is from a major gaming event one month, that changes your mix. Real rates also vary. Don’t assume your average CPM is your floor; sometimes you’ll have great months and weak months. That’s normal.
Q3: Is it better to optimize for traffic volume or traffic quality?
A: Traffic quality. Full stop. A million impressions from low-quality, low-paying geographic regions will earn less than 100K impressions from premium Tier 1 regions. If you’re making decisions about content strategy, content that attracts US and Western European gaming enthusiasts will earn more per impression than content that attracts massive-but-cheap international audiences. This is why you see gaming sites focusing on competitive gaming, esports, and premium gaming content—those topics attract premium audiences. If you’re getting mostly Tier 3 traffic, focusing on higher CPM networks won’t help as much as trying to shift your audience composition.
Q4: How much should I rely on ad network revenue?
A: Diversification is always smart. If ads are 100% of your revenue, you’re one network policy change away from disaster. Smart publishers use ads as one revenue stream (maybe 40-60%) and supplement with sponsorships, affiliate revenue, direct sales, or other models. For gaming specifically, there’s huge opportunity in affiliate revenue (linking to games, game stores, etc.), sponsorships from game publishers, and direct audience monetization (memberships, Patreon, etc.). Networks should be a solid foundation, but not your whole business.
Q5: Do I need a developer to use these networks?
A: Depends on the network. AdSense, Mediavine, and Sharethrough are all pretty straightforward—if your site has any standard CMS, they have plugins and guides. Sortable header bidding ideally should be implemented by a developer, though there are managed options. BuySellAds requires zero technical implementation—they provide everything. Most networks have either plugin support or easy JavaScript implementation these days. If you’re on WordPress, most of these have WP plugins. If you’re on a custom platform, you might need dev help. But it’s not as bad as it used to be.
What Should You Actually Do?
Here’s my honest recommendation based on where the market actually is in 2026:
If you’re under 10K monthly uniques: Start with Google AdSense (free, instant approval) while you work on growing traffic. Don’t waste time on other networks until you have more scale.
If you have 10-25K monthly uniques: Add Sortable or Sharethrough on top of AdSense. This gives you better CPM rates without requiring you to switch off AdSense. You’ll probably see 30-50% revenue increase.
If you have 25K+ monthly uniques with decent traffic quality: Apply for Mediavine immediately. It’s the most reliable, highest-paying network at that scale. Once you’re approved, layer Sortable on top for header bidding (adds another 15-20% typically). If you have sponsor appeal, add BuySellAds.
If you have 100K+ monthly uniques of premium quality: You should be running Mediavine + Sortable + BuySellAds + possibly GumGum. This combination gives you programmatic floor + header bidding uplift + direct sponsor revenue + premium brand-safe demand. You could be making 3-5x what you’d make on AdSense alone.
If you’re an esports-focused or competitive gaming site: Prioritize BuySellAds higher in your stack because esports sponsors will pay premium rates. These audiences are valuable and sponsors know it. Don’t sleep on direct sponsorships just because programmatic seems easier.
Don’t do this: Don’t launch with five networks. Don’t switch networks every two weeks. Don’t obsess over daily CPM fluctuations. Don’t assume a network’s reputation matches its performance for your specific traffic. Don’t ignore traffic quality in pursuit of volume.
The gaming ad network landscape is stable right now, but it’s not stagnant. Networks are actually competing on value and service quality, which means publishers have real choices. The key is making an intentional choice based on your specific situation rather than just doing what everyone else is doing.
If you’re running a gaming site and thinking about monetization, spend a week auditing your traffic, figuring out your real CPM range, and identifying which network aligns with your situation. Then implement one network, give it 60 days to optimize, and go from there. That’s the path to actually good gaming monetization.
