TikTok, from ByteDance, has exceeded 1.5 billion downloads on App Store and Google Play, according to Sensor Tower. It was the 4th most downloaded non-gaming app in 2018 with 655.8 million installs, and in 2019 it's 3rd with 614 million downloads so far, behind WhatsApp and Messenger but ahead of Facebook and Instagram. India is the largest market, contributing 466.8 million downloads (31% of total), followed by China (173.2 million, 11.5%) and the US (123.8 million, 8.2%).
In 2019, India drove 45% of global installs. Lifetime user spending reached $175 million, with China accounting for $84.5 million (48.3%), the US $62.4 million (35.7%), and Great Britain $6.9 million (3.9%). So far in 2019, user spending totaled $115.3 million, peaking at $18.2 million in October.
Top 1% of publishers got 80% of global app downloads in Q3 2019. In games, they earned 95% of revenue. Discoverability and ASO are crucial for the remaining 99% to compete.
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.
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.
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.
AppsFlyer’s 2026 creative data shows video and static image ads reward opposite creative qualities, so ad ops teams should plan, budget, and test them separately. Video spend is concentrating: gaming’s top 2% of video creatives captured 60.7% of spend, up from 53.5%, while image spend spread out. Top spenders are testing far more variations, widening the testing gap. Action/Strategy and Puzzle/Lifestyle show format-specific tone and social-proof reversals; Finance is the exception. Teams should use AI-assisted variation, analyze video winners deeply, keep broad image testing, and measure performance at attribute level.
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%).
This TikTok for Business landing page promotes a limited-period new-advertiser incentive program offering up to USD 6,000 in matched ad credits. Three self-serve tiers are presented: 50% off first 30-day spend (up to $200), dollar-for-dollar match up to $500, and match up to $6,000. A separate headline offer advertises Spend $100/Get $100, Spend $500/Get $500, and Spend $1,500/Get $1,500 plus 1-to-1 expert onboarding support. Registration requires email or phone sign-up with 2-step verification. Eligibility is restricted to new SMB self-serve accounts, excluding agency, Business Center, and TikTok Shop accounts; credits post within 7 days of hitting the highest threshold or after the 30-day window.
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.
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