Oculus topped the downloads charts for the US, NHS app for the UK While Roblox was the #1 game in both the US and UK
Apple is reported to break iPhone sales this holiday season selling over 40 million devices from Black Friday to Christmas. As consumers unwrapped new iPhones and Android phones on Christmas morning, they downloaded a flurry of apps and games, activated new subscriptions and bought new in-app purchases to uplevel their gameplay, access new lives and upgrade their avatars’ skins.
TikTok Topped the Charts for App Downloads Globally on Christmas Day, but Oculus Ranked #1 in the US for Downloads
Globally, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook topped the daily downloads chart across iOS and Google Play worldwide for apps. Telegram ranked #7 as consumers continue to prioritize encrypted messaging services along with strong network effects from a growing user base. Shopee ranked #8, the highest ranking shopping app worldwide, driven by strong uptake in India, LATAM and Southeast Asia. Spotify ranked #9 globally for downloads. The music streaming app likely received a boost in demand from its end of year ‘wrapped’ campaign that has been widely shared on social media.
In terms of games, Brain Story: Tricky Puzzle by Onesoft ranked #1 following a version released on Dec 21, 2021 shortly following the app store launch. Poppy Rope Game, an Open World Action game by Zego Studio ranked #2 and Rocket League Sideswipe by Psyonix (Epic Games) ranked #3 — a race car soccer game popularized on PC and console, this is the latest example of a gaming title successfully migrating to mobile.
In the US, Oculus was #1 by downloads on Christmas Day as Americans unwrapped new Oculus Virtual Reality (VR) headsets under the tree. This builds off the growing trend for metaverses and immersive experiences. YouTube was the #2 app by downloads, followed by TikTok, then Snapchat - showcasing the power of short-form video and engaging user-generated content. Disney+ was the most downloaded video streaming app on Christmas Day in the US after YouTube. ROBLOX ranked #1 in the US for games as consumer demand for metaverses, social gaming and user generated content remains high.
In the UK, the NHS app ranked #1 by downloads on Dec 25, 2021, as consumers sought to access their COVID Pass for vaccination or test results amidst holiday travel. Amazon Alexa ranked #5 which could indicate IOT products topping Christmas wish lists this year. Pictionary Air by Mattel ranked #8 for downloads — a mobile game that combines a board game, with an IOT device (Pictionary Air pen) and a mobile app for a fully immersive gameplay — allowing for people to draw in the air with the pen and then view it as a group on their device or TV. ROBLOX and Rocket League Sideswipe claimed the top 2 spots for games on Christmas Day in the UK.
Roblox Was the #1 Game for Consumer Spend on Christmas Day Globally, in the US and in the UK; While TikTok Topped the Charts Globally for Spend, HBO Max and Disney+ Ranked #1 in the US and UK Respectively
Consumers turned to TikTok for content on Christmas day, and chose to compensate their favorite live streamers via in-app purchases — driving TikTok to the #1 spot Worldwide for non-gaming apps. YouTube, Disney+ and HBO Max all ranked in the top 5 as demand for streaming exclusive content remained high (and in the case of YouTube, consumers preferred to subscribe to remove ads). It is also notable that digital collectibles app VeVe ranked #9 by spend — an indication of the demand for NFTs. VeVe is an app where consumers can purchase digital collectibles from beloved IP and leverage Augmented Reality to place them in the real world. By leveraging the app stores for transacting, Veve helps to bring NFTs mainstream through a secure and familiar place for purchasing ‘gems’ which enables the user to participate in the in-app marketplace for collectibles. They leverage weekly exclusive releases to drive demand, along with tags that label items by rarity.
In terms of Games, ROBLOX saw the greatest consumer spend as gamers worldwide spent Christmas day building in the metaverse and upgrading avatar skins and other in-game consumables. Free Fire ranked #3 for consumer spend — further evidence of online multiplayer gaming driving deep engagement and cross-device play.
In the US, 5 of the top 10 apps by consumer spend on Christmas Day were video streaming apps including, HBO Max at #1. On Dec 22, 2021, The Matrix Resurrections debuted in theaters and was simultaneously released exclusively on HBO Max (available to the $14.99 ad-free plan) — a helping to spur subscriptions through the highly anticipated content release. Paramount+ moved up 6 ranks from Christmas eve. Looking at games, Roblox was the #1 game for spend followed by mostly core titles, except Candy Crush Saga — the long standing favorite Match M3-Saga game.
In the UK, Disney+ was the streaming app of choice in terms of subscriptions. VeVe ranked #6 — an indication of digital collectibles taking off. Notably, Fitbit was a top app by spend in the UK which could be tied to demand for IOT devices as Christmas gifts and a shifting mindset towards greater reliance on on-demand fitness and apps that get you outside to exercise — a trend we saw pick up momentum during the onset of the pandemic. In terms of Games, Coin Master, a Party Luck Battle game ranked #2 by spend after ROBLOX. Match games were also popular in the UK with Candy Crush Saga (#3), Homescapes (#8) and Gardenscapes (#10) occupying 3 of the top 10 ranks.
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