App Store spending booms on Christmas Day in Europe

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TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2020.
The App Store had a great day December 25.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

For many people, Christmas was a bit more of a subdued affair in 2020 than in other years. But things were far from subdued in the App Store. According to new figures published by Sensor Tower, spending on mobile apps hit a big high point on Christmas Day in Europe.

The iOS App Store accounted for 60% of total app spending, adding up to almost $32.7 million on Christmas Day alone. That’s a massive 39% increase year-over-year. Android, by comparison, rose 17.4% year-over-year to hit $22 million on December 25.

Overall, this was Europe’s second-largest day of the year when it comes to app spending. The first was on Black Friday, less than a month ago on November 27.

Overall app spending on both iOS and Android in Europe over Christmas.
Overall app spending on both iOS and Android in Europe over Christmas.
Photo: Sensor Tower

As you might expect, the bulk of spending was on games. The top-grossing game in Europe, across both iOS and Android, was Brawl Stars, followed by Roblox and Coin Masters. The top non-gaming app in terms of revenue was Tinder (hey, got to start 2021 on a good note!), followed by Disney+ and then YouTube.

Germany (population: 83 million) was the No. 1 most lucrative market on Christmas Day. In second place was the United Kingdom (population: 67.8 million). France (population: 67 million) came in third.

App spending in 2020

The news that Christmas Day was a good one for the App Store isn’t a total shocker. A previous report claimed customers spent a total of $407.6 million across both the iOS App Store and Google Play over Christmas. Of that, the App Store represented 68.4% of all spending — or $278.6 million in total.

How has your own app spending — including subscriptions, one-off purchases and in-app purchases — changed in 2020? Let us know your observations in the comments below.

Source: Sensor Tower

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