Data Digest: Q2 2019

The Q2 2019 Data Digest provides a comprehensive overview of the global mobile application economy, focusing on performance metrics across the Apple App Store and Google Play. The analysis highlights a robust growth period, with global app downloads reaching 28.7 billion, representing an 11.5% year-over-year increase. The findings are derived from the Store Intelligence platform, which tracks app performance, publisher rankings, and category trends to offer a detailed snapshot of the mobile landscape during the second quarter of 2019.

Key findings indicate that Tinder maintained its position as the world’s highest-grossing mobile app for the second consecutive quarter, outperforming major subscription video-on-demand services. In the gaming sector, Tencent achieved significant revenue growth, driven by the rebranding of PUBG Mobile as Game for Peace in China, which allowed for monetization in that market, alongside the successful launch of the roleplaying title Perfect World. Meanwhile, the mobile games download market remained dominated by hyper-casual titles, which accounted for seven of the top ten most installed games, led by Stack Ball.

At the publisher level, Tencent solidified its status as the top-earning entity, largely due to the sustained success of Honor of Kings and Tencent Video. Facebook continued to lead the industry in total downloads, maintaining its position ahead of Google. While the top-earning rankings were heavily populated by gaming companies, IAC Mobile emerged as a notable exception, securing a top-ten spot through its ownership of Tinder. The data underscores a market characterized by strong consumer engagement in both subscription-based services and hyper-casual gaming, with significant regional influence from the Chinese market.