SensorTowerSensorTower

The Top 1% of App Publishers Generate 80% of All New Installs

Nov 26, 2019·4 min read

Sensor Tower data shows extreme inequality in the app market: top 1% of publishers accounted for 80% of 29.6 billion downloads globally in Q3 2019, leaving 6 billion for the other 784,080 publishers.
For games, the top 1% claimed 82% of downloads and 95% of revenue.
Revenue disparity has remained stable since 2014.
Publishers must focus on ASO and paid acquisition to stand out.

You Might Also Like

SensorTowerSensorTower

Consumer Spending In Mobile Apps Grew 17% in 2019 to Exceed $83 Billion Globally

In 2019, users spent $83.5 billion globally on apps and mobile games, up 17% from 2018. App Store revenue hit $54.2 billion, while Google Play reached $29.3 billion. Games accounted for 74% of spending. First-time installs totaled 114.9 billion, with Google Play leading growth.

Jan 26, 2020·2 min readRead article →
SensorTowerSensorTower

TikTok Clocks 1.5 Billion Downloads on The App Store and Google Play

TikTok surpasses 1.5 billion downloads, ranking 3rd most downloaded non-gaming app in 2019. India leads with 31% of installs, China 11.5%, US 8.2%. Revenue hits $175M, mainly from China (48.3%) and US (35.7%).

Nov 26, 2019·2 min readRead article →
SensorTowerSensorTower

Fate/Grand Order Surpasses $4 Billion After Becoming Japan’s Top Grossing Mobile Game of 2019

Fate/Grand Order surpassed $4 billion in lifetime player spending, with 81.5% from Japan. It generated $1 billion annually in 2018 and 2019, and became Japan's top-grossing mobile game in 2020.

Craig Chapple·Jan 26, 2020·2 min readRead article →
SensorTowerSensorTower

Mobile Legends Revenue Passes $500 Million as Southeast Asia Powers Explosive Growth

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang reached $502.5 million lifetime gross revenue, driven by $214.1 million in 2019 (up 36% YoY). Asia contributed 61% of revenue, with Malaysia ($87.5M) and Indonesia ($69.2M) as top markets. Google Play accounted for 68% of revenue and 89% of 281.3 million downloads. First-mover advantage helped it surpass Honor of Kings outside China.

Craig Chapple·Jan 3, 2020·3 min readRead article →
SensorTowerSensorTower

TikTok Was Installed More Than 738 Million Times in 2019, 44% of Its All-Time Downloads

TikTok hit 738M downloads and $177M revenue in 2019, growing 5x from 2018. India led downloads (44%). China topped revenue (69%). Q4 was best quarter. App faces privacy challenges but growth persists.

Jan 26, 2020·2 min readRead article →
SensorTowerSensorTower

Mario Kart Tour Speeds to 90 Million Downloads in First Week to Become Nintendo's Fastest-Ever Mobile Game Launch

Mario Kart Tour achieved 90 million downloads in its first week, six times more than Nintendo's second-best launch. It ranks third in player spending with $12.7 million. Android led downloads (59.5%), while iOS dominated revenue (75.5%).

Mario Kart Tour·Oct 3, 2019·2 min readRead article →
SensorTowerSensorTower

Mobile Users Spent $195 Million in Meditation Apps Last Year, Up 52% Over 2018

In 2019, top 10 meditation apps generated $195M in user spending, up 52% from 2018. Calm and Headspace dominated, with $92M and $56M revenue respectively, showing 46% and 33% annual growth.

Jan 26, 2020·3 min readRead article →
SensorTowerSensorTower

Ad Monetization 101: App Analysis & Top Ad Publishers

Sensor Tower's new Ad Monetization reports reveal how apps earn beyond in-app purchases, with 72% of top grossing games using hybrid strategies. The tools benchmark ad revenue, networks, and formats to optimize monetization.

May 26, 2026·3 min readRead article →

More from SensorTower