BeReal Introduces U.S. Ad Platform in Shift Toward Monetization

Social photo-sharing app BeReal is taking its first major step toward monetization in the U.S. by officially launching an advertising platform. The move follows its acquisition by French mobile publisher Voodoo for €500 million and comes after limited ad testing with brands like Nike, Netflix, Levi’s, and Amazon.

BeReal’s new ad offerings include in-feed ads that mirror the platform’s signature dual-camera format, as well as full-day brand takeovers. To support the rollout, the company has brought on Ben Moore, formerly of TikTok, to lead a dedicated U.S. team focused on partnerships, sales, and platform growth – a smart move, considering that TikTok itself has always found ways to advertise and monetize without compromising its position as one of the top social apps in the world.

In an interview with TechCrunch, BeReal shared that it currently has around 40 million monthly active users globally, with 5 million of those based in the U.S. The app says 85% of its user base is Gen Z, and in its top markets – France, the U.S., and Japan – half of all users are active at least six days a week. These numbers, however, have not been independently verified.

Originally launched in 2019, BeReal’s rise to prominence came in 2022 after early investment rounds from a16z and Accel. The app’s popularity peaked with 53 million downloads by late 2022, and its influence was solidified by cultural references such as a sketch on Saturday Night Live.

Despite this early momentum, download figures have declined. Analytics firm Appfigures estimates that global downloads dropped from 31.5 million in 2023 to 12.7 million in 2024 – a 60% year-over-year decrease. This increase in monetization, if successful, should offset this decline and potentially open the floodgates for more in-depth monetization strategies if the platform continues to expand to new markets and feature sets.