Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Gaming

Introduction

The headline is clear: Gaming leads were far cheaper than the global benchmark across the past 12 months, but they came with much sharper swings. The Gaming industry’s global cost per lead (CPL) averaged $18.6 versus a $40.9 global benchmark, yet the path there was turbulent—marked by a deep Q2 trough, a dramatic August spike, and a soft October finish. 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 Gaming across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Gaming CPL started at $21.61 in November 2024, rose to $34.41 in December, then fell back to $20.68 in January before rebounding to $33.18 in February. March marked a sharp reset to $4.58, and Q2 stayed subdued: April at $7.26, May at $10.20, and a cycle low in June at $4.15. A modest lift appeared in July ($5.82), followed by the year’s standout surge in August to $42.98—the peak of the period—before settling at $28.73 in September and dropping to $9.85 in October. Across the window, that’s a 54% decline from the November start.

The range was wide: a $4.15 low in June versus a $42.98 high in August (a 10× spread). Month-to-month volatility averaged $13.75, over four times the global benchmark’s $3.22, underscoring the Gaming category’s choppier lead costs. The sharpest single-month move was July to August (+$37.16), while the steepest drop came in February to March (−$28.60).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, the Gaming CPL narrative breaks into three chapters:

• Q1 2025 was mixed, oscillating between mid‑$20s–$30s and a March reset, averaging $19.5.
• Q2 was the softest stretch (average $7.2), with the cycle low in June.
• Q3 strengthened meaningfully (average $25.8), driven by the August spike and a still‑elevated September.

By October, CPL cooled to $9.85, even as the broader market typically firms in late Q3 and Q4. This rhythm—Q2 softness, Q3 strength—contrasted with the steadier global pattern, where costs typically rise into late summer and early fall.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark, Gaming ran consistently below market. On average, Gaming CPLs were about 54% lower ($18.6 vs. $40.9). The gap narrowed meaningfully in two moments: December (13% below global) and especially August (just 4% below). At its widest, Gaming trailed the market by 90% in June; March and July also sat 80%+ below. While the global trend rose modestly over the period (+8% from November to October) with relatively contained month-to-month moves, Gaming was more volatile and directionally choppier (−54% from start to end).

The global benchmark itself hovered in the low‑to‑mid $40s most months, bottoming at $33.34 in March and peaking at $48.21 in September—an orderly climb compared to Gaming’s sharp mid‑year swings.

Closing

In short, Facebook Ads benchmarks show the Gaming industry’s global cost per lead was materially below the all‑industry baseline but far more volatile, with a Q2 trough, an August peak, and a softer October. Understanding cost‑per‑lead trends for the Gaming industry across all countries—within the context of broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPM analysis, CPC trends, and CTR performance—helps frame industry ad performance against global patterns.