Finding incremental growth beyond search and social channels

As Playtika sought to diversify and scale beyond its core performance channels for Bingo Blitz, its online Bingo game, the question wasn’t whether to test CTV, it was whether CTV could meet the same performance bar as social and search.

As a performance-driven gaming advertiser, for Playtika, ROAS is non-negotiable. Experimentation without clear outcomes wasn’t an option. Any new channel had to prove it could scale efficiently, drive real installs, and deliver measurable downstream value.

CTV emerged as the potential growth lever, but only if it could answer three critical questions:

1. Could it deliver measurable, lower-funnel performance?

2. Could it scale efficiently?

3. Could it drive incrementality beyond Playtika’s existing media mix?

The performance-based program was designed to answer all three.

These questions were further heightened by broader market pressures. App store downloads were slowing industry-wide, while competition for high-value users intensified. For Playtika, the challenge became reaching incremental audiences and re-engaging lapsed users without sacrificing performance discipline.

Samsung Ads solution: The shift to performance-based buying

Playtika partnered with Samsung Ads to test CTV as a true performance channel. The Bingo Blitz campaign initially launched on a CPM basis, before expanding to a performance-based buying model, powered by Samsung’s proprietary AI and ML to optimize continuously in real-time.

Samsung Ads tested creative and placements across its owned and operated premium inventory including:

• Native ad placements, including the home screen
• Samsung TV Plus (Samsung’s proprietary FAST platform)
• Samsung Gaming Hub (Samsung’s cloud-based gaming platform)

 

“What sets this apart, on top of the unique first-party data, is the access to the native home UI,” said Corallo. “When you partner directly with Samsung Ads, you unlock placements on the home screen, which isn't available through other third-party channels.” By running machine learning optimization across both the home UI and Samsung TV Plus, Samsung created a performance advantage that drove 54% more impressions through more efficient delivery.

“Each placement used to have its own CPM, which created fragmented performance,” said Corallo. “We reduced that into a single performance goal, which simplified execution and helped stabilize results.”

This access to exclusive, top-of-funnel real estate provided the raw scale, but it was the underlying shift in the buying model that allowed Bingo Blitz to convert that reach into measurable actions.

“CPM wasn’t the issue, it was becoming harder to unlock incremental gains within existing channels, “ said Garcia. “The move to performance-based buying allowed for more automated, machine learning-driven optimization. By leveraging Samsung’s mobile conversion Smart Audiences, the system identified high-intent users across hundreds of behavioral dimensions.”

It wasn’t just about which inventory was being bought; it was about how it was being optimized towards ROAS goals.

Measurement played a critical role in tracking campaign KPIs. Using AppsFlyer as a third-party measurement partner, Samsung Ads leveraged consistent postbacks – the exchange of information between servers to report a user’s action on a website, network, or app – to optimize campaigns and validate performance across the funnel.

Rather than relying on demographic targeting, Samsung Ads used first-party data and machine learning to identify behavioral signals across hundreds of dimensions, from viewing habits to device usage and time of day to uncover intent.

The business payoff: Proving CTV can drive profitable, lower-funnel growth

Within three months of launching the campaign, Playtika fully shifted to performance-based buying. What began as a cautious test became an evergreen program that has now run for nearly two years.

“We essentially turned CTV into a lower-funnel growth engine,” said Corallo. This was driven by native placements that proved especially impactful, delivering premium, incremental reach unique to Samsung’s ecosystem.

All installs were independently verified, and performance was evaluated beyond acquisition, including downstream indicators like day-seven ROAS. Because the performance model prioritized users with a high propensity for gaming, Bingo Blitz saw a significant lift in in-app purchase engagement during the first seven days following install. That proved that the combination of creative optimization and behavioral signals were driving high-value growth.

For Playtika, the partnership demonstrated that CTV could confidently sit alongside traditional performance channels.

“This wasn’t a brand experiment,” said Garcia. “It was a profitable, outcome-driven campaign, and the proof points showed clear success along with scale.”

“Our collaboration with Samsung Ads has been both highly impactful and genuinely enjoyable. The team is professional, proactive, and constantly looking to challenge the activity and explore new ways to grow and improve performance for Bingo Blitz. We truly value the partnership and the collaborative mindset they bring.” - Lior Itzhak, Executive General Manager, Bingo Blitz.