App Annie: Worldwide app downloads grew 15% and revenue soared 40% in 2016

Downloads, revenue, and time spent in apps all grew by double digits during 2016, according to a report by market researcher App Annie.

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Time spent in apps grew more than 20 percent to nearly 900 billion hours in 2016, according to the year-end report.

The platform owners paid out nearly $89 billion in revenues to publishers from in-app ads and app store revenue, up 40 percent from the year before. That means apps generated $127 billion in revenues overall, as platform owners take about 30 percent of the revenue.

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Gaming also had a huge year, as gaming still accounts for 75 percent of overall revenue for apps on iOS and 90 percent of revenue on Google Play.

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The top five apps by revenue were Spotify, Line, Netflix, Tinder, and HBO Now.

http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/17/app-annie-worldwide-app-downloads-grew-15-and-revenue-soared-40-in-2016/