--- title: "Mobile Games Drive 35% Growth in Mobile App Revenue in 2017" locale: "en" language: "en-HK" published: "2018-01-16T15:53:02+08:00" updated: "2026-03-17T23:04:03.104Z" canonical: "https://accordhk.com/blog/mobile-games-drive-35-growth-in-mobile-app-revenue-in-2017-167" --- # Mobile Games Drive 35% Growth in Mobile App Revenue in 2017 Sensor Tower reported that consumer spending on apps rose nearly 35% to US$58.6 billion in 2017. Mobile games accounted for 82% of spending, while Apple led in revenue and Google Play led in first-time downloads. ## In brief App spending grew nearly 35% to US$58.6 billion in 2017, with mobile games contributing 82%. Apple generated more revenue, while Google Play recorded more first-time downloads, supported by emerging markets and its higher market share. As previously reported, [Apple’s App Store]() attracted US$300 million in consumer spending on New Year’s Day alone. Looking at the full year, app revenue on both Apple’s and Google’s platforms grew substantially. The latest data from Sensor Tower showed that, compared with 2016, consumers’ [spending on apps]() rose nearly 35% in 2017 to US$58.6 billion. Mobile games accounted for 82% of that total, with revenue in this category growing 30% in the same year. ![▲Mobile games drive growth! Mobile app revenue grew 35% in 2017 (Image reproduced from Sensor Tower)]() [Google Play]() generated US$15 billion in app revenue in 2016 and US$20.1 billion last year, an increase of 34.2%. Apple’s revenue rose from US$28.6 billion to US$38.5 billion, a growth rate of approximately 34.7%, comparable to Google’s. In terms of total revenue, however, Google Play, which was unavailable in China, trailed Apple by US$18.4 billion in 2017. For first-time app installations worldwide, Google held a clear advantage thanks to emerging markets and its higher market share. It recorded 64 billion downloads last year, up 16.7%, outperforming the 6.7% growth and 28 billion downloads recorded by the [App Store]()。 ![▲Mobile games drive growth! Mobile app revenue grew 35% in 2017 (Image reproduced from Sensor Tower)]() Sensor Tower also noted that mobile games were the main source of revenue, with purchases and top-ups accounting for 82% of the total, or US$48.3 billion. Both Google and Apple recorded 30% growth. Google continued to lead in download numbers: [Google Play]() recorded 27.2 billion game downloads in 2017, up 17.8%, while the App Store recorded 8.3 billion, up 5.4%. According to App Annie’s survey in the third quarter of 2017, the company attributed [growth in app downloads]() to the rise of emerging markets, including countries such as Indonesia, India and Vietnam, which the article grouped as Southeast Asian countries. A comScore survey in August 2017 also showed that 51% of US users had not downloaded any new apps in the previous month. This suggests that app downloads and sales are relatively difficult to achieve in countries with mature smartphone markets. The future rise of emerging markets would have an even greater impact on Apple’s and Google’s respective shares. https://game.ettoday.net/article/1088283.htm?t=%E6%89%8B%E9%81%8A%E5%B8%B6%E5%8B%95%E6%88%90%E9%95%B7%EF%BC%812017%E5%B9%B4%E6%89%8B%E6%A9%9FApp%E7%87%9F%E6%94%B6%E6%88%90%E9%95%B735%25 ## Frequently asked questions ### How much did consumer spending on apps grow in 2017? According to the Sensor Tower data cited in the article, consumer spending on apps grew nearly 35% from 2016 to US$58.6 billion in 2017. ### How much did mobile games contribute to app revenue? Mobile game purchases and top-ups generated US$48.3 billion, accounting for 82% of total app spending. Mobile game revenue grew 30% on both Google’s and Apple’s platforms. ### How did Apple and Google Play compare in 2017? Apple generated US$38.5 billion in app revenue, compared with Google Play’s US$20.1 billion. Google Play led in first-time app downloads, recording 64 billion compared with the App Store’s 28 billion. ### What role did emerging markets play in app download growth? App Annie’s third-quarter 2017 survey attributed app download growth to the rise of emerging markets. The article also cited an August 2017 comScore survey showing that 51% of US users had downloaded no new apps in the previous month, illustrating the difficulty of increasing downloads in mature smartphone markets.