Digital streaming apps have been in the news a lot recently. So, with the streaming wars gaining momentum, we used our app intelligence solutions to analyze the top Android mobile video streaming apps on the market.
In addition, we discuss the impact of two major releases on the streaming landscape — the meteoric rise of Squid Game and the arrival of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune on HBO Max.
Here’s what we cover (click the links below to jump to the relevant sections):
The Top Mobile Video Streaming Apps
1. Netflix by Netflix, Inc.
- Short Description: Netflix is the leading subscription service for watching TV episodes and movies.
- Downloads Over the Last 30 Days: 24,611,942
- Total Global Downloads: 1,000,000,000+
2. Amazon Prime Video by Amazon Mobile LLC
- Short Description: Watch TV shows and movies including award-winning Amazon exclusives.
- Downloads Over the Last 30 Days: 7,910,719
- Total Global Downloads: 100,000,000+
3. Disney+ by Disney
- Short Description: The best of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.
- Downloads Over the Last 30 Days: 5,357,885
- Total Global Downloads: 100,000,000+
4. HBO Max: Stream TV & Movies by WarnerMedia Global Digital Services
- Short Description: Stream all of HBO with hit shows, classic favorites, and Max Originals!
- Downloads Over the Last 30 Days: 3,962,419
- Total Global Downloads: 50,000,000+
5. Hulu: Stream TV Series & Films by Hulu
- Short Description: Discover movies, stream your favorite Hulu Originals & watch TV shows you love.
- Downloads Over the Last 30 Days: 626,592
- Total Global Downloads: 50,000,000+
For more mobile video streaming app insights, set up a meeting with one of our experts!
Analysis of the Top Mobile Video Streaming Apps
Downloads between November 2, 2020 - November 2, 2021
In the graph above, you’ll find historical global downloads for each of the top Android mobile video streaming apps over the last year. In general, downloads have been steady, with Netflix leading the way by a wide margin.
While the top five streaming apps combined for 649,382,842 downloads over the last year, Netflix alone accounted for 445,562,306 downloads, or roughly 69% of the total. Amazon Prime Video reported the next best year pulling in 115,731,759 (18%) downloads, followed by Disney+ with 45,682,590 (7%), HBO Max with 35,311,967 (5%), and Hulu with 7,094,220 (1%).
Netflix also had by far the two most dramatic spikes in downloads. The app’s first big moment came in late January 2021, when it surpassed three million daily downloads on January 22nd and January 24th. These dates happen to coincide quite closely with Netflix’s sensational Q4 2020 earnings report (released January 19th, 2021), in which the company revealed it had surpassed 200 million subscribers for the first time ever.
However, the larger spike came more recently. Indeed, on September 20th, 2021, the Netflix app was downloaded 3,832,508 times. Two things seem to have contributed to this. The first was a dominant performance at the Emmys, which saw the platform win a whopping 44 awards. The second was the release of the South Korean mega-hit Squid Game (2021) on September 17th.
How did HBO Max perform following the release of Dune?
Next, let’s take a quick look at how the release of Dune impacted HBO Max. In late July, HBO announced that the science fiction epic would be available on HBO Max for 31 days following its theatrical release.
However, while the official release date was expected to be October 22nd, HBO surprised viewers by releasing the movie one day early on October 21st. As you can see, this led to a dramatic uptick in HBO Max downloads, as it catapulted from fewer than 100,000 daily downloads to more than 200,000 overnight.
Final Thoughts
As companies continue to navigate the modern media landscape — which often pits theaters against streamers and traditional television networks against digital platforms — it’s important to remember that many of the numbers laid out above also reflect the impact of coronavirus. Indeed, country-wide lockdowns, shelter-in-place orders, and other measures aimed at attenuating the spread of the virus have contributed to an era of increased digitization.
Moreover, there’s growing speculation that the streaming market may be reaching a saturation point. If so, the victors of the streaming wars may soon be clear and one can expect to see more consolidation of services in the future. At this point, all we can say is: “Stay tuned!”
More App Insights from 42matters
At 42matters, we provide app data, insights, and analytics via a host of useful APIs, file dumps, the 42matters SDK Explorer, and the 42matters Explorer. This includes:
- Developer details
- Downloads
- Ratings, reviews, and top chart rankings
- Categories, genres, and IAB categories
- Technical insights, including SDKs, permissions, and app-ads.txt
- And more
The 42matters Explorer is an app market research tool that offers a comprehensive look at app trends and statistics. This includes data on both iOS and Android apps. Moreover, our APIs facilitate programmatic access to app intelligence data from both Google Play and the Apple App Store, as well as the Amazon Appstore, Tencent MyApp, Apple TV App Store, Fire TV, and the Roku Channel Store.
To learn more about 42matters, schedule a meeting with one of our app market experts. We’ll walk you through everything.
