PreShow
PreShow is a company.
Financial History
Leadership Team
Key people at PreShow.
PreShow is a company.
Key people at PreShow.
PreShow Interactive is a mobile app that enables gamers to earn in-game currency by watching ads, using patented proprietary technology to integrate rewards seamlessly without interrupting gameplay.[2][7] Founded by former MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes, it targets gamers across consoles, PCs, and VR, solving the problem of costly in-game purchases by letting users convert time and attention into free currency for over 20,000 popular games.[2][7] The company pivoted from a movie theater ad model during the pandemic, raised $3 million in seed funding led by Harlem Capital (with investors like Canaan Partners and Wavemaker Ventures), and launched in beta with strong early momentum.[2][7]
Stacy Spikes, a film marketing executive, producer, and founder of the Urbanworld Film Festival, co-founded and led MoviePass, pioneering subscription-based movie ticketing with location-based payment tech in 2012.[2][3] PreShow emerged as his next venture, initially conceived as an ad-supported platform for movie theaters to enhance pre-show experiences.[2][3] The 2020 pandemic forced theaters to close, prompting a swift pivot to gaming, where Spikes saw parallels in delivering entertainment value.[2] This shift proved successful: PreShow Interactive closed its $3M seed round in 2021 and entered beta, driven by Spikes' vision to "sell dreams" by making entertainment accessible and fun.[2][7]
PreShow rides the wave of ad-supported gaming monetization, a trend exploding with free-to-play models and in-app economies valued in billions, accelerated by mobile and cross-platform gaming growth.[7] Timing aligns with post-pandemic shifts from theaters to digital entertainment, where ad tech fills revenue gaps left by disrupted experiences like cinema preshows.[2][4] Market forces favoring it include rising gamer demand for non-intrusive rewards amid inflation-pressured spending, plus ad platforms' maturity for targeted, high-engagement delivery.[7] PreShow influences the ecosystem by challenging paywalls in gaming, potentially inspiring hybrid ad-reward systems and boosting accessibility for underserved gamers.[2]
PreShow is poised for expansion beyond beta, targeting full launch across major platforms with its $3M runway to scale user acquisition and game partnerships.[2][7] Trends like Web3 gaming integrations, AI-personalized ads, and VR/AR growth could amplify its model, while competition from established reward apps will test its proprietary edge. Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to ecosystem player, empowering creators and gamers—much like MoviePass disrupted theaters—by blending ads with joy in an attention economy.[2] This positions PreShow to redefine "earn while you play," sustaining Spikes' legacy of visionary entertainment access.[7]
Key people at PreShow.