SensorTowerSensorTower

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

Nov 26, 2019·4 min read

Summary

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

India Mobile App Market in Q2 2026: IAP Hit a New High of $345 Million (Up 35%); Story TV Emerged as India’s No.1 Short Drama App, While Meesho Led Shopping App Downloads

India's mobile app market hit record revenue of $345M in Q2 2026, with non-gaming up 50% YoY. For ad ops, key opportunities lie in short drama apps (Story TV tripled ad spend), AI subscriptions, and ad-supported games like arrow puzzles, which generate over 11% of global ad revenue from India. Gaming revenue grew 10% YoY, outperforming global decline. Hypercasual game ad revenue rose 180% QoQ. India is transitioning from an acquisition market to a monetization powerhouse, offering scalable ad inventory across entertainment, local commerce, and casual gaming.

Jul 31, 2026·5 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 →
MolocoMoloco

How sports apps are preparing for the next wave of fan engagement

Sports publishers face unique monetization challenges due to event-driven traffic spikes. AI-native SDKs like Moloco optimize ad revenue in real-time without harming user experience. By connecting publishers to premium demand and leveraging machine learning, these tools help maximize yield during high-engagement moments. Key publishers (LiveScore, Sofascore, etc.) adopt Moloco to balance revenue growth with fan retention. The trend reflects a broader shift toward transparent, automated monetization across the app ecosystem.

Moloco·Jul 2, 2026·4 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 →

More from SensorTower