Sponsored ads appeared in 47% of the ChatGPT conversations about video games and consoles that Comscore tracked in U.S. PC activity in June, up from 3% in March.
The figure is from Comscore’s Q2 2026 AI Intelligence Report, released on Sept. 22. During this period, ad presence increased from 5% to 24% in toys and hobbies discussions, and from 9% to 22% in books, music, and video.
Gaming Conversations Climbed Fastest
Ad presence in ChatGPT gaming conversations stayed between 3% and 4% through April, then increased to 18% in May and reached 47% in June.
Toys and hobbies grew each month, from 5% in March to 12% in April, 14% in May, and 24% in June. Books, music, and video fluctuated more: from 9% in March to 12% in April, a dip to 8% in May, and a rise to 22% in June.
What Comscore Counted
Comscore’s retail chart focuses on conversations rather than tracking individual users or ad impressions. It shows the share of ChatGPT conversations, which Comscore classifies by retail category, that include a sponsored ad. The source note in the slide mentions that the data reflects U.S. PC activity only and is based on an opt-in panel.
However, the report doesn’t specify the number of conversations behind each monthly figure or detail how conversations are categorized. It also isn’t clear whether just one sponsored ad in any part of a conversation is enough for it to be counted.
It’s also unclear whether Comscore’s base includes conversations from ad-free plans. OpenAI’s help center says ads may appear for Free and Go users and in logged-out use, while Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu accounts are ad-free. If conversations from ad-free plans are in the denominator, the chart doesn’t reveal the ad rate among conversations eligible to show ads.
Where The Series Falls In OpenAI’s Ad Rollout
OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT on Feb. 9 for logged-in adults in the U.S. on the Free and Go tiers. Comscore’s retail series starts in March, a few weeks into that test.
On May 5, OpenAI began rolling out a beta self-serve Ads Manager and added cost-per-click bidding next to the CPM buying it offered in the pilot’s first phase. June, the highest month in all three categories, was the first full month after OpenAI began rolling out the beta self-serve Ads Manager. Comscore doesn’t link the two, and the chart can’t show whether new advertisers, more inventory, or something else drove the jump.
How This Compares With Earlier Data
Comscore’s September 3 report revealed that sponsored ads appeared in 6% of hotel-related ChatGPT prompts with source links in March. This number grew to 14% in April and 24% in May. Since this series only counts prompts with source links, it doesn’t directly match retail percentages.
In August, SEJ highlighted SE Ranking’s ChatGPT ads report, which examined 50,006 commercial prompts collected on July 23 and found that 25.94% of them included ads.
Why This Matters
SE Ranking’s report analyzed how frequently ChatGPT displayed ads in response to prompts written by a vendor on a single day. Meanwhile, Comscore’s chart shows the frequency of user-initiated conversations that included an ad over time, across three retail categories in U.S. PC activity.
In the categories of games, toys, and media, sponsored placements appeared in 22% to 47% of June conversations tracked, depending on the category. Until Comscore releases detailed conversation counts, the June increase should be considered a preliminary observation.
Looking Ahead
On September 16, OpenAI introduced a new ChatGPT Ads app specifically for U.S. Shopify merchants, with plans to expand to other ChatGPT Ads markets starting September 23. They highlight that products are already integrated through the Shopify Catalog, so merchants can begin running ads immediately.
Additionally, OpenAI is experimenting with Sponsored Agents, in a testing phase with a limited group of U.S. advertisers. When users click on an ad, they can start a new conversation with a business-sponsored agent, separate from their original chat thread. Comscore’s published methodology does not specify how these separate sponsored chats will be handled in future reports.
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