Global App Spending Reached $277 Million on Christmas, Growing 11% Over 2018

Spurred by new device sales, first-time mobile users, and consumers flush with gift card credit, worldwide spending across the App Store and Google Play on Christmas topped $277 million according to Sensor Tower Store Intelligence estimates. This represented combined year-over-year growth of 11.3 percent for the stores, which brought in a total of $249 million in user spending on the same day in 2018.

Consumer spending in apps and mobile games on Christmas accounted for about 5 percent of all revenue generated by the stores for the Month of December, which reached nearly $5.1 billion globally according to our estimates. This was 8 percent greater than the approximately $4.7 billion spent across both platforms during December 2018.

The majority of mobile spending on Christmas, approximately $210 million, was focused on the Games category, which generated 76 percent of revenue across both stores and grew about 8 percent Y/Y from $195 million. PUBG Mobile from Tencent's TiMi studio led in-game spending with $8.5 million, up 431 percent from the $1.6 million players spent in the game on Christmas 2018.

Non-game apps accounted for approximately 2 percent more of all spending this Christmas compared to a year prior, bringing in an estimated $67 million. This reflected Y/Y growth of about 24 percent from $54 million. Entertainment category apps, which include SVOD services such as Disney+ and Tencent Video, accounted for the largest portion of non-game spending—24 percent—on the App Store, while 16 percent of Google Play revenue outside of games came from that store's top-earning category for the day, Social.

The top non-game app for overall spending on Christmas was Tinder, which saw is gross revenue near $2.1 million globally.

Apple's App Store accounted for 70 percent of spending between the two platforms at $193 million, growing about 16 percent Y/Y. Approximately $84 million was spent on Google Play, which represented Y/Y growth of 2.7 percent.

U.S. Spending Grew, But Trailed Global Growth

Compared to the 11.3 percent Y/Y growth witnessed by the stores from a global perspective, consumers in the United States spent 4.8 percent more in apps on Christmas 2019 versus a year ago. Spending topped $80 million across both platforms, up from approximately $76 million on Christmas 2018.

As seen with global spending, games generated the majority of U.S. app revenue on Christmas at 73 percent, but the total of $58 million grew a more modest 2 percent Y/Y from $57 million, compared to about 8 percent worldwide. Non-game app spending in the U.S. grew about 13 percent Y/Y to $22 million, compared to global growth of 24 percent.

With 2019 drawing to a close, overall spending on the App Store and Google Play both globally and in the U.S. has once again reached record levels. We'll have analysis of the full year beginning next week.