YouTube hasn't dropped out of the top 5 grossing apps in the U.S. App Store even once this year. Or last year. Or the year before that. Not once!
Since 2018, our app intelligence shows that YouTube's net revenue from the U.S. App Store alone grew 7x, rising from $7.5M in January of 2018 to $57M of net revenue in July. Again, this is only in the U.S. and only from its iOS apps.
How? Easy, YouTube's massive audience and focus on conversion.
If you're using YouTube on your mobile device, you know they show you the upsell popup at just the right time. And looking at its pricing, it feels pretty fair.
I talk about video streaming often and rarely include YouTube because it doesn't feel like a competitor to Disney+ or HBO Max, but with mobile revenue beating both consistently and a growing catalog that includes more than just cat videos, I don't see any reason why YouTube won't be getting into original content soon. And when they do, it'll be a very interesting move to watch.
December saw a curious split: downloads dropped 2% while revenue sat at $1.3B. ChatGPT and TikTok dominated both charts as the mobile industry enters a new maturity phase.
Wall Street bet $2 billion on Polymarket, and downloads surged 1,172% in December. The prediction market banned in 2022 is now where Wall Street looks for signals.