India's sports app growth plateaus, but in-app purchases up 28%

India's sports engagement metrics are experiencing a plateau, after a steep rise during the pandemic years.  The number of sports app downloads fell significantly from a peak of 28 crore in 2023 to approximately 21 crore in 2024, according to the Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2025 report. 

This decline marks a 25% reduction year-over-year, reflecting the challenges faced by the sports app ecosystem in sustaining audience interest amid changing consumption habits. 

Notably, India imposed a 28 per cent goods and services tax (GST) on the platform fees for the real-money gaming sector retrospectively in October 2023, which impacted the industry badly. Prior to this, platforms were shelling out 18 per cent GST. 

However, even as the growth of apps has hit a plateau in the country, the in-app purchase (IAP) revenue for sports apps continues to grow, showcasing a different trend. IAP revenue surged from Rs 30 crore in 2023 to Rs 39 crore in 2024, reflecting a 28.5% year-over-year increase, a trend which can energise the brands and advertisers. 

Yannick Colaco, Co-founder, FanCode, explains, “The data is indicative of the fact that audiences are now maturing and are willing to pay if they see value in the product. The emphasis is on quality over quantity. Sports fans are clear and decisive in what they want, and that’s reflected in FanCode being #1 in India when it comes to sports entertainment.”

“FanCode streams more than 15,000 games across more than 12 sports. We will double down on delivering value through innovation to our growing 160m+ user base - be it leveraging new technologies like GenAI for personalisation and continue to ensure we offer a world-class experience to fans,” Colaco adds. 

This uptick indicates that while fewer users are downloading sports apps now, those who remain are increasingly engaging with premium content and services, signalling a shift towards monetized engagement within the sports entertainment and gaming industry, another industry expert says. 

“India is a prime sports market. While cricket remains the most favourite sport, Indians have started following other sports such as football, kabaddi, basketball, hockey and so on. Most apps are offering various sports to cash in on the trend. The industry is receiving its 50 per cent traffic from Tier II and Tier III towns, a significant chunk of which is women. It is good news for advertisers who seek to expand their footprint in Bharat”, industry leaders remarked. 

A senior official working with a leading fantasy sports app said, "Users today are spoiled for choice with hundreds of sports apps catering to various categories. Leading platforms that consistently innovate and evolve to meet the shifting preferences of users stand out in this crowded space. Top apps significantly elevated their profile by becoming an associate partner of the IPL. Despite a decline in overall downloads, such platforms continue to grow, proving that staying ahead of user needs is crucial for long-term success in this competitive space."

Dream11 & My11Circle top app downloads globally 

Homegrown fantasy sports platforms - Dream11 and My11Circle - have claimed the top two spots in global sports app downloads  leveraging cricket’s immense popularity, transforming fan engagement with interactive and gamified experiences,

Notably, Dream11 and Games24x7 (which operates My11Circle) have been among India's top advertisers. Dream11 spent over Rs 3,000 crore and Games 24x7 spent Rs 1,600 Cr in advertising and promotions in the fiscal year 2023. In 2024, My11Circle overtook Dream11 to secure the title of the official fantasy sports partner for the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the next five years.

It is to be noted that the demand for top Sports apps can fluctuate wildly depending on the timing of different events and seasons. For instance, sports app downloads in India rely heavily on the cricket tournaments schedule, and downloads in France surged during the Paris Olympics.  

In the sports entertainment subgenre, major players like the Olympics app (#3), Flashscore (#4), ESPN (#5), Cricbuzz (#8), FanCode (#9) continue to captivate global audiences by delivering real-time updates and in-depth analysis. This is as per the Sensor Tower report (number of downloads).