The business of gaming monetization and advertising doesn’t stand still. What felt like an innovative strategy last year may already be outdated in 2025. Roblox activations, branded UEFN Fortnite maps, and new ad-tech solutions are transforming how brands show up in games and how publishers unlock new revenue opportunities.

For publishers and advertisers alike, keeping pace with these shifts is paramount. The challenge isn’t just spotting the latest trends, but also understanding how industry leaders are turning them into sustainable campaigns and revenue strategies.

Podcasts are one of the best ways to stay informed. They provide direct access to agency planners, game developers, publishers, and marketing innovators, delivering insider perspectives you won’t find in surface-level headlines.

Here are five of the most valuable podcasts to help publishers understand emerging trends and advertisers sharpen their in-game advertising strategies this year.

1. The Leaderboard Insights Podcast

Hosted by: Overwolf Ads

Platforms: Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music & Apple Podcasts

The Leaderboard Insights Podcast is Overwolf’s dedicated series for marketers who want expert perspectives on gaming advertising. Each month, it spotlights industry leaders, brand strategists, and gaming experts who share the latest data and best-in-class campaigns.

Episodes dig into everything from branded Fortnite maps to modding communities, and how media agencies are scaling campaigns across titles. Tailored for brand marketers and agencies, it delivers not just trends but actionable strategies you can apply right away.

Episode Length: 30 minutes

Ideal for: Brand marketers, media buyers, and agencies looking to understand how to authentically reach gamers without disrupting playtime.

Topics include:

• How gaming IPs are fueling the transmedia boom across film and TV
• Why gaming is becoming Gen Z’s new social media
• Why brands should play the long game and capitalize on “white space”
• Unique gaming trends for 2025 and beyond

Why you’ll love it: This podcast is dedicated entirely to brand campaigns in gaming and in-game advertising examples. If you want to understand where gamer culture, media strategy, and brand opportunities intersect, The Leaderboard Insights Podcast will keep you ahead of the curve. Alongside featuring The Leaderboard Insights Podcast, Overwolf Ads has also written a Top 5 Gaming Advertising Podcasts for marketers which you can read here.

2. Naavik Gaming Podcast

Hosted by: Naavik

Platforms: Spotify, YouTube,  & Apple Podcasts

Naavik is widely recognized as a gaming research, consulting, and advisory firm, and their Naavik Gaming Podcast extends that expertise into audio. The show is a business-focused exploration of the companies, trends, strategies, and leaders shaping the future of games.

Episodes feature in-depth conversations with executives, founders, and analysts across the gaming industry. Topics range from in-game advertising, and the creator-driven economy around Roblox, UEFN Fortnite maps, & Minecraft. For marketers, it provides critical context on how gaming companies think, operate, and monetize.

Episode Length: 60-90 minutes

Ideal for: Senior marketers, strategists, and analysts who prefer long-form, deep-dive conversations packed with research-driven insights.

Topics include: 

• Deep dives into Roblox, Minecraft, and UEFN Fortnite ecosystems.
• Publishing strategy, live-ops, and esports business models.
• Trends in UGC games, AI analytics, and global market shifts.

Why you’ll love it: Naavik gives you the “big picture” context for gaming advertising. It’s especially valuable if you’re exploring longer-term investments in Roblox experiences or branded integrations inside live service games.

3. Brands in Play

Hosted by: Albane Prioux & Nic Hill - Brands in Play

Platforms: Spotify, Youtube,  Amazon Music & Apple Podcasts

Brands in Play is the go-to podcast for marketers exploring immersive marketing, where brands don’t interrupt the experience, they become part of it. With over 25 episodes, the show brings together industry leaders, agency innovators, and creators to unpack how gaming, entertainment, and emerging tech are transforming brand engagement.

Each week, the hosts dive into real-world case studies and expert insights, helping marketers understand how to adapt strategies in a world where traditional ads struggle against shrinking attention spans and ad blockers. Whether it’s gaming activations, branded entertainment, or immersive digital experiences, this podcast highlights the playbook for building long-term consumer affinity.

Episode Length: 60 minutes 

Ideal for: Creative marketers, brand leaders, and agencies exploring immersive activations in gaming and virtual worlds.

Topics include: 

• Brand activations across Roblox, Fortnite, and virtual worlds 
• How entertainment, music, fashion, and retail brands (Walmart, UMG, ASICS, L’Oréal) use gaming and immersive tech to connect with audiences
• Advertising in gaming and building cultural relevance through UGC platforms

Why you’ll love it: If you want honest insights into what works (and what doesn’t) when activating inside games, this podcast is for you. It’s tactical, transparent, and full of real-world examples.

4. The Digiday Podcast

Hosted by: Digiday editorial team

Platforms: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

The Digiday Podcast is a weekly show exploring the big stories shaping the future of media, advertising, and technology. With in-depth conversations featuring brand leaders, publishers, and creators, it provides essential context for how the digital economy is evolving, and what it means for marketers.

For gaming advertisers, Digiday’s episodes on AI disruption, streaming reshuffles, and creator economy strategies provide a critical lens for understanding how brands allocate budgets across channels, including in-game. Guests range from CMOs at global platforms to independent creators making waves in new digital spaces.

Episode Length: 45 minutes 

Ideal for: Marketers who enjoy weekly analysis and want to connect gaming advertising with broader media and tech shifts. 

Topics include: 

• AI’s impact on advertising, from Google’s AI ads era to Meta’s automation push.
• The evolution of streaming, retail media, and CTV ad products.
• Creator economy strategies and brand partnerships across TikTok, YouTube, and beyond.

Why you’ll love it: Digiday connects gaming and in-game advertising to the bigger shifts in digital media, making it a must-listen for marketers balancing gaming with broader ad strategies.

5. The Big Impressions

Hosted by: The Current

Platforms: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

The Big Impression is the flagship podcast from The Current, offering insights and inspiration from leaders at the world’s most influential brands. Editors and co-hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing sit down each week with CMOs, brand innovators, and media executives to discuss how marketing is evolving in real time.

Episodes spotlight bold campaigns and strategic pivots across industries: from State Farm’s NFL crossover to Unilever’s Dove activations, United Airlines’ retail media ambitions, and Diageo’s offline-first brand-building. For marketers exploring in-game and immersive advertising, these stories provide a window into how global brands are thinking about creativity, cultural relevance, and new media opportunities.

Episode Length: 30 minutes 

Ideal for: Busy senior marketers who want quick, insightful takeaways from global CMOs and brand leaders without a major time commitment.

Topics include: 

• CMO playbooks from global brands like Unilever, Diageo, and SAP.
• Retail media innovation, personalization, and data-driven campaigns.
• Storytelling, cultural branding, and cross-platform activations.

Why you’ll love it: The Big Impression shows how household-name brands adapt to change, offering practical lessons you can apply when marketing to gamers or experimenting with emerging ad formats.

Turning Insights Into Action for Publishers and Advertisers

Gaming is no longer a niche, it’s a cultural force, and in-game advertising is at the center of it. Whether you’re a publisher exploring new monetization opportunities, or an advertiser experimenting with Roblox activations, branded Fortnite maps, or contextual ads in AAA titles, these podcasts will keep you informed and inspired.

By tuning in, you’ll gain direct access to experts who understand how to authentically engage gamers while driving measurable results. And if you’re ready to turn those insights into action, discover how Nitro, alongside with Overwolf Ads, helps publishers unlock sustainable revenue with curated, brand-safe demand, while giving advertisers access to premium gaming audiences at scale.

About Overwolf Ads

Overwolf is a world-leading gaming platform empowering brands and advertisers to reach over 113 million monthly gamers across hundreds of the world’s biggest titles and premium gaming websites.

Ranked by Comscore as #2 Gaming Property and Digiday’s Best Gaming Ad Tech Platform 2024, Overwolf is trusted by global brands and agencies such as Universal Pictures, P&G, Dr Pepper, AMD, Monster Energy, Nissan, KFC, WPP, Dentsu, Havas, The Trade Desk and more. 

For more information on Overwolf, visit www.overwolf.com/ads.

About Nitro

As a division of Overwolf, Nitro is dedicated to reinventing website monetization for the gaming industry. Nitro’s ad tech platform combines uncompromised user experience and nitro-speed revenue and service with Net 7 Payouts, same-day support and the industry’s fastest ad loading. Recognized for its speed, transparency, and general ease of use, Nitro works closely with over 300 publishers that run 500+ gaming websites worldwide. This exclusive gaming network of sites for the world’s most popular IPs accounts for over eight billion ad impressions across a network of over a billion global pageviews.

For more information on Nitro, visit www.nitropay.com.