Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Entertainment

Introduction

The Entertainment industry’s cost per app install (CPI) sat well below the global Facebook Ads benchmark for most of the period, then surged mid‑year with a sharp June peak before easing into October. It’s a story of low-cost traction late in 2024, a jolt of higher acquisition costs mid‑2025, and two standout months (March and July) where Entertainment actually ran above market. Point-to-point volatility was similar to the overall benchmark, but because Entertainment operated at a lower base, swings felt larger in percentage terms. This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Entertainment across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Entertainment CPI opened at 2.36 in November 2024 and finished at 8.19 in October 2025—roughly 3.5x higher than its starting point. The median averaged 10.80 across the period, ranging from a low of 1.98 in December 2024 to a high of 25.31 in June 2025. The run-up from December’s low to June’s peak was steep—about 12.8x—followed by a comedown into October.

Month-to-month moves (based on available months) show a pattern of abrupt climbs and resets: +56% from December to February, +252% from February to March, then −19% by May. June spiked another +188% over May, before falling −25% in July and −39% in August. A September rebound (+44%) gave way to a −51% cooldown in October. Averaged across transitions, point volatility was about 6.14 per month, closely mirroring the global benchmark’s 6.12-point average swing.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, Entertainment CPI was soft in late Q4 2024 (2.36 in November and 1.98 in December), then rose into early Q1 with a February lift and a March spike. After a brief easing in May, June marked the year’s apex at 25.31. Q3 held elevated, averaging about 15.8 for July–September, before a notable October reset to 8.19. This arc aligns with broader platform dynamics where competition and budgets often escalate into mid-year, while late-year pressures can diverge by vertical.

Country vs. Global

Compared to the global benchmark (average 14.16), Entertainment averaged 24% lower (10.80). The gap was widest in November 2024 (about 85% below the market) and narrowed dramatically in June 2025 (9% below). Entertainment outperformed globally in March (+31% above) and July (+50% above), while trailing in most other months: −82% in December, −75% in February, −19% in May, −39% in August, −14% in September, and −44% in October. The global series began at 14.97 and ended at 14.65 (−2%), relatively flat outside a pronounced June spike to 27.78. In contrast, Entertainment’s trajectory climbed from a low base and was choppier, with a similar point range (about 23 points vs. the market’s 21 points) despite a lower overall level.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-app-install benchmarks for the Entertainment industry across all countries highlights how this vertical’s CPI trends diverge from the global pattern—generally lower, occasionally above market, and highly seasonal around mid‑year. While this report centers on CPI, marketers often review it alongside CPC trends, CPM analysis, CTR performance, and country-specific ad costs to contextualize industry ad performance against global Facebook Ads benchmarks.