Entertainment

Roblox Bid for Ad Riches Collides With Wary Sponsors, Developers

Gaming platform geared for kids turns out to be a tough sell

The Roblox log-in page on a mobile phone

Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

Roblox Corp. executives have been trying to get advertisers to market their wares in the gaming platform’s virtual worlds since the company went public in 2021.

It’s a chance for brands to reach the 150 million people who spend an average of two hours a day on Roblox. Inside its games, virtual billboards and video ads can tempt the platform’s young audience with images of fast-food hamburgers and trailers for movies like Wicked: For Good. Advertising is “uncharted and very big,” Chief Executive Officer David Baszucki said in a 2023 interview.