LoopMe launches Chartboost Direct for app publishers

LoopMe has launched Chartboost Direct for mobile app publishers, aiming to bring brand advertising demand directly into apps.

The system is designed to give publishers access to brand budgets without changing their existing ad tech stack. It includes direct pay, direct deals and marketplace deals, intended to connect publishers more directly with supply-side platforms and demand-side platforms.

LoopMe is positioning the launch around shifts in digital media consumption. Its research found that nearly one in five users of generative AI tools say they now spend less time browsing the web, while up to 19% say they spend more time on mobile gaming apps after adopting AI tools.

That shift matters for advertisers and publishers because web inventory has long been central to brand campaigns, while in-app environments have more often been associated with user acquisition advertising. LoopMe argues that, as usage patterns change, app publishers need more direct ways to attract brand spending.

How It Works

Chartboost Direct's direct pay function allows publishers to contract with and receive payments from participating brand SSP partners through existing Chartboost software development kit integrations. The direct deals feature lets publishers create ad placements with private marketplace deal IDs called directly from a publisher ad server. Marketplace deals allow inventory to be packaged using deal IDs within mediation auctions, adding a signal intended to support direct transactions with brand demand partners.

More broadly, in-app advertising infrastructure has historically not been set up for some of the data, measurement and signal requirements associated with brand advertisers. Publishers have also had to navigate reseller arrangements and fragmented supply paths, which can affect pricing and access to demand.

Mike Laband, Group SVP, US Revenue at Magnite, said Chartboost Direct could give buyers and sellers another route into mobile app inventory.

"Traditionally, premium mobile supply has been blocked by reseller constraints or lack of interoperable buying signals," Laband said. "Chartboost Direct now brings SSPs and brands an alternative path directly into quality in-app publisher environments. AI-enriched bid streams will provide publishers with built-in, accurate brand signals, measurement and data, enhancing the user experience."

Shift In Demand

LoopMe's research also points to a broader shift in how consumers discover information and spend time online. According to the company's figures, nearly three in 10 users say they now use AI more than traditional search, compared with 15% who report increased search engine usage.

For publishers, that change may increase pressure to diversify revenue sources beyond channels closely tied to web traffic. For advertisers, it may mean finding alternative digital inventory that can support brand campaigns with clearer data and more direct access to supply.

Stephen Upstone, LoopMe's chief executive officer and founder, linked the launch to those changes in traffic and buying patterns.

"LoopMe research has shown that since adopting GenAI tools, nearly three in 10 users say they now use AI more than traditional search, versus just 15% who report increased search engine usage. As web traffic declines, brands need new inventory sources to replace web, but these often require direct supply, and we see reseller traffic being penalised through SPO. At the same time, publishers want brand demand programmatically, but face limitations through their current tech stacks.

"With higher CPMs, cleaner supply paths, better UX and sustainable brand demand for mobile app publishers, Chartboost Direct is a must-have toolkit, delivering the results that matter most for publishers and providing SSPs with quality in-app environments," Upstone said.

LoopMe said the product will sit alongside its wider advertising technology and data tools. It added that the offering draws on more than 100 global sellers delivering its direct brand demand, as well as access to both brand and user acquisition demand from major DSPs and SSPs.

Other elements include faster rendering for display and video formats; mobile ad formats aimed at different types of demand; access to a first-party data management platform and user demographic analytics; and artificial intelligence from its Intelligent Marketplace intended to improve publisher yield.

The launch highlights how ad tech companies are trying to reshape mobile app monetisation as brand budgets and audience behaviour evolve across search, web and app environments.