The 2025 NFL Season by the Numbers: Betting Cools, Fantasy Heats Up

NFL executives aren’t the only people who profit when Americans watch football. The mobile app ecosystem surrounding the sport is itself a huge source of revenue, and brands who create social, gamified, and satisfying experiences for fans are poised to capture vast amounts of consumer time and money. Our joint report with AppsFlyer, The 2025 NFL Season by the Numbers, explores the shifting world of Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports apps. We’ll walk you through the latest data on acquisition, engagement, ad spend, and more — giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the trends impacting performance. 

On the whole, 2025 has been a good year for Fantasy Sports. Engagement and revenue are both on the rise, with monthly active users (MAUs) in the US up 40% since 2023, and in-app purchase revenue climbing 106% compared to last year’s season. Fantasy Sports have indeed capitalized on the perennial football buzz, but they have also achieved something arguably more impressive: top players have successfully boosted engagement year-round (and outside of peak sporting seasons). Expanding the window of usage beyond the 14-week NFL season provides myriad new opportunities to engage fans — and to monetize that attention. ESPN Fantasy currently holds the largest market share of the cohort, boasting a full 48% of US MAUs within the Fantasy category. Sleeper, however, is one to watch out for: the hybrid Fantasy-Betting entry is one of the fastest-growing in the last couple years. 

Moving over to the other half of the equation, Sports Betting apps, the story isn’t quite as bright — but there’s still reason for optimism. In contrast to Fantasy’s rapid growth, Sports Betting players have struggled to retain both revenue and engagement. Installs declined 39% year-over-year (YoY) in 2025, with revenue also dropping an eyebrow-raising 62%. The biggest divergence from 2024 came in October, where installs and revenue both fell ~50% — compared to strong performance in the same time period the year prior. There is one silver lining, however: app sessions are still on an upwards trend, climbing an average of 9% weekly compared to 2024 levels. Overall, the dips may be just as much signs of a maturing market as they are of an industry in decline. And certain subcategories within the genre (notably, Pick’em and Prediction apps) appear to be gaining steam rather than losing it. 

When it comes to analyzing this year’s season, don’t stumble around in the dark. Download the full 2025 NFL Season by the Numbers report for even more exclusive data (plus charts!) that will give you a leg up over the competition. Beyond downloads and revenue, you’ll also learn about how regulations impact ad strategy, the relative performance of key subgenres, and granular breakdowns of how engagement shifts over the course of the season. Football fan or otherwise, it’s a must-read for strategic digital marketers.