YouTube becomes top grossing iPhone app in U.S. after 8 years in App Store

Posted:
in iPhone edited March 2018
Google's YouTube app for iOS, which provides direct access to the ubiquitous video sharing service, this week became the top grossing iPhone title on Apple's U.S. App Store, a watershed achievement eight years in the making.




YouTube's slow climb to the top of the charts was first spotted by Sensor Tower, which notes Google's app has never surpassed the No. 3 spot on Apple's list of highest grossing titles, reports TechCrunch.

Apple removed the Top Grossing chart from its App Store app in iOS 11, but analytics firms like Sensor Tower still have access to such data.

Google first launched a standalone YouTube app in 2012 following its removal as a preinstalled app in iOS 6. Since then, the iOS version has been a venerable favorite among users, consistently maintaining a spot in the upper echelons of the App Store's free app charts. Even today, YouTube sits in the No. 1 spot in the U.S. App Store.

In a bid to better monetize its offerings, YouTube rolled out the YouTube Red subscription service in 2015, granting paying users access to ad-free videos, offline caching and other value-added features. The release boosted the app into the No. 6 spot on Apple's top grossing charts, generating an estimated $100,000 per day on iPhone and as much as $300,000 a day on iPad, the report said.

YouTube Red currently runs for a monthly fee of $9.99 that can be paid in-app for $12.99. The price hike is a direct response to Apple's mandatory 30-percent cut of all App Store purchases.

According to Sensor Tower, YouTube has grossed more than $200 million in worldwide user spending on iOS since in-app monetization went live in 2015. Subscriber trends are moving upward, as the title raked in about $14 million in February and $12 million so far this month, up a respective 133 percent and 150 percent year-over-year.

Not included in the gross amount are related apps like YouTube Music, YouTube TV or YouTube Gaming, all of which offer in-app purchases, nor does it account for movie rentals and purchases.

The analytics firm was unable to attribute the recent rise on a specific event or trend, though YouTube did add additional monetization options like Super Chat tips for streamers last year.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    geekmeegeekmee Posts: 629member
    I don’t get it, Who paid for the YouTube app?
    tokyojimumacseekerrandominternetpersonlondon11flashfan207mavemufcwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 23
    macseekermacseeker Posts: 544member
    geekmee said:
    I don’t get it, Who paid for the YouTube app?
    Yeah, I also don't support the advertisers there.  They have products/services that don't interest me.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 23
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Maybe they mean the revenue it generates from the ads in the YouTube app?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 23
    Much to the dismay of many regular readers of this site, Apple, Google, and Samsung all make BILLIONS off Iphone, Ipad, and Mac sales!  At least 95% of you are contributing to the bottom line of all three "frenemies"! 

    Oh, and probably Amazon, too!

    If you prefer the Apple products, that's all well and good!  I just prefer that you all would fess up that you are patronizing all three!

    If Cook and Jobs have no trouble doing business with Google and Samsung, then why all the AI hate for those MARKET LEADING companies?
  • Reply 5 of 23
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Whatever. As long as that 30% of revenue keeps going to Apple, that’s what matters.
    racerhomie3randominternetpersonairmanchairmanwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 23
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    Yes. The YouTube app still does not have native PIP on iPad!
    macseekeranton zuykovwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 23
    How stupid do you have to be to pay $12.99/month via the app versus $9.99/month outside the app?  (If I understand the story correctly.)
    baconstang
  • Reply 8 of 23
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    How stupid do you have to be to pay $12.99/month via the app versus $9.99/month outside the app?  (If I understand the story correctly.)
    As a shareholder, I make no judgements on a person choosing to spend more money via the App Store. :D
    markbyrnracerhomie3airmanchairmanwatto_cobraanton zuykov
  • Reply 9 of 23
    Google is not happy with the 30% fee but from what I understand, Google also charge 30% on first year subscription too....
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 23
    I prefer the FREE version myself.
  • Reply 11 of 23
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,544member
    geekmee said:
    I don’t get it, Who paid for the YouTube app?
    I don't get it, People feel the need to comment without reading the fucking article?
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 12 of 23
    Hmm. "Google first launched a standalone YouTube app in 2012". It's 2018 now, isn't it? So how can it be "after 8 years in App Store"? Should be 6.

    P.S.: Who cares, anyway.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 23
    geekmee said:
    I don’t get it, Who paid for the YouTube app?
    I'm havjng the same query too... maybe this article is about YouTube Red and not YouTube...?  But definitely not about YouTube TV as it says so at the bottom of the article. Bit of a weird article to be honest. 
  • Reply 14 of 23
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    london11 said:
    geekmee said:
    I don’t get it, Who paid for the YouTube app?
    I'm havjng the same query too... maybe this article is about YouTube Red and not YouTube...?  But definitely not about YouTube TV as it says so at the bottom of the article. Bit of a weird article to be honest. 
    Yeah pretty sure they must be referring to the ad-free YouTube Red subscription service.

    EDIT: Well after looking at the source article over at TechCrunch it's just as confusing so I'm not entirely sure what they're referring to. 
    edited March 2018
  • Reply 15 of 23
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    sflocal said:
    Maybe they mean the revenue it generates from the ads in the YouTube app?
    Nope. Advertising revenue wasn't included, nor were other revenue sources for YouTube like video rentals and purchases or YouTube Music. So not at all clear where the money is coming from to make it #1.

    The SensorTower blog is zero help too, no mention yet of YouTube being the top grossing app. 
    edited March 2018
  • Reply 16 of 23
    anton zuykovanton zuykov Posts: 1,056member
    Yes. The YouTube app still does not have native PIP on iPad!
    It also lags like crazy. The native iPad Pro refresh rate is 120fps, but in YouTube iOS app, it is like 30. Rotations of the screen are terrible and lag, comment section lags and freezes. It don't know if they are using some kind of library ported from Android (hence inefficient)...
    tallest skilwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 23
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    They sure won’t make those sales on the Apple TV with the dog shit PS2 port they’re pretending is a tvOS app. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 23
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Yes. The YouTube app still does not have native PIP on iPad!
    It also lags like crazy. The native iPad Pro refresh rate is 120fps, but in YouTube iOS app, it is like 30. Rotations of the screen are terrible and lag, comment section lags and freezes. It don't know if they are using some kind of library ported from Android (hence inefficient)...
    I think they have settings for both 30 and 60 fps. 120fps may not be an option. 
  • Reply 19 of 23
    mavemufcmavemufc Posts: 326member
    Really, didn't think YouTube Red was that popular.
    tallest skil
  • Reply 20 of 23
    That surprising statistic in itself is a striking testament to the awesome power of the disposable income of Apple device users, and its value even to 3rd party app and service vendors... imagine users not bothered by having to pay a higher subscription fee just for the convenience of doing so in-app! Now that's platform power and consumer affluence in the extreme!
    watto_cobra
Sign In or Register to comment.