Apple’s App Store revenue grew 31% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2020, increasing from $14.5B last year to $19B this year, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower. Google’s Google Play Store performed even better, growing 33.8% but still took in less than Apple’s store, with $10.3B.
Sensor Tower says that the numbers benefited because consumers are stuck at home due to the coronavirus, boosting the demand for entertainment apps. (TikTok topped both app store charts.)
Last quarter’s greater than typical growth reflects COVID-19’s continuing impact on consumer spending in apps as well as a persisting lift in their adoption around the globe […]
Mobile game spending had previously surged in the second quarter as consumers around the globe sheltered in place and sought out more entertainment options. The third quarter also saw significant growth for the category, climbing 26.7 percent Y/Y to reach $20.9 billion in worldwide consumer spending on the App Store and Google Play. More than half of this revenue came from users on the App Store, which generated $12.4 billion from in-game spending, up 24 percent Y/Y from 3Q19. Games on Google’s platform generated $8.5 billion in gross revenue, reflecting 30.8 percent Y/Y growth.
[…]
Despite being banned in its largest market [of India] and the threat of a similar fate in the United States, TikTok was the highest earning non-game app globally in 3Q20 in spending across both stores, including the iOS version of Douyin in China. The social video-sharing app translated its explosive popularity into a surge of consumer spending that grew 800 percent Y/Y when compared to 3Q19. This was its second consecutive quarter as the top-grossing non-game app.
The top-grossing iOS apps contributing to App Store revenue globally were:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Tencent Video
- Tinder
- iQIYI
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Youku
- Piccoma
- BIGO Live
When it comes to downloads, Facebook took four of the top ten slots:
- TikTok
- Zoom
- YouTube
- Messenger
- Gmail
- Google Maps
- Netflix
(Via 9to5Mac)
