This year, among the top 50 publishers, those focusing on non-gaming content rose to 13, up from 11 in 2022 with Tencent topping the charts for the seventh year in a row.
In its 13th year, the Top Publisher Awards represent the most successful companies in 2024. The awards are made possible by the combination of more than 1.2 million apps categorized under our industry-first Game IQ and App IQ taxonomy and our applied ai-driven market data. This year, we honor the accomplishments of over 400 global publishers from 45 different markets worldwide, who are the driving force behind the ever-vibrant app economy.
Non-Gaming Apps Propel A Rebound in the Sector
In 2023, spending in apps outpaced games, fueling 11% YoY growth in consumer spend to $64 billion, propelling the rebound of the overall sector. In fact, among the top 50 publishers, the number of those focusing on non-gaming content rose to 13, up from 11 in 2022.
Social and entertainment apps experienced double-digit growth in consumer spend, increasing +10% YoY to $29 billion annually. In 2023, ByteDance (#2) and Google (#3) saw a surge in in-app purchases, driven by popular Social and Entertainment apps like TikTok and YouTube, reaching a collective annual consumer spending of nearly $10 billion.
In 2023, notable non-gaming revenue successes were seen from Disney, climbing to #6 with $2.7 billion, Warner Bros. Discovery rising 19 spots to #19 with $1.4 billion and Amazon jumping five ranks to #23 with $1.2 billion. Tencent topped the charts for the seventh consecutive year at $8.7 billion.
Dream Games Sees Biggest Revenue Growth in 2023
Gaming faced headwinds in 2023, with spend decreasing to $107 billion (-2% YoY) while downloads remained relatively steady at 88 billion, buoyed by Hypercasual, Simulation and Action genres. Tencent continued to lead as the highest-earning gaming publisher for the seventh year in a row, driven by its flagship title Honor of Kings, despite a decrease in spending. Activision Blizzard remained at #4, with a modest growth of 2%.
Scopely (#14) and Dream Games (#16) were the two gaming publishers that bucked this trend. Scopely moved up 19 places as consumer spend surged, propelled by the successful launch of Monopoly GO: Family Board Game. Dream Games stood out with their top title, Royal Match, achieving the most significant jump in rankings by ascending 26 places in 2023, at a remarkable 133% growth in consumer spend YoY.
Publishers from Asia Pacific Represent 27 of the Top 50 Firms
Publishers headquartered in Asia Pacific dominate the list, making up more than half (27) of the top 50 and commanding 52% of consumer spending. However, the United States had the largest number of top publishers for a single country, with 18 (36% of the total share), followed by China with 12 (31% of the total share)
Top Publisher Awards Launches New Categories To Award Leaders in User Acquisition, Engagement, Monetization and Growth
This year, we also introduced two new categories, Top Apps By Mobile Performance Score and Top Publishers By Mobile Performance Score. The new categories highlight revenue success similar to our flagship MPS ranking — but take it even further with a custom composite metric. We are spotlighting the comprehensive performance of publishers and their apps in driving growth, engagement, user acquisition, and monetization within the dynamic mobile landscape. This innovative initiative also honors individual apps for the first time alongside company-level rankings. These new awards are powered by data.ai’s proprietary Game IQ and App IQ taxonomy, allowing for hypergranular categorization and ranking cohorts. Read who topped the charts here.
“We congratulate the elite top publishers across the globe. It is our privilege to work with 42 of the top 50 mobile leaders and play a part in their world-class performance. We are honored to help them achieve success on mobile,” said Ron Thomas, Chief Revenue Officer, data.ai.
For more on our methodology here.
