Game publishers dominate ranks as social, entertainment, and dating app fuel many top performers
We are excited to recognize the most innovative and successful publishers from around the world. The Top 52 Publishers is a diverse group of companies from 12 countries, from Finland to China, Ireland to Israel, and the United States to Japan.
This year, Asian headquartered publishers dominate the list, making up more than half (27) of The Top 52, including five of the top ten ranks. The United States had the most top publishers of any country, with 17.
Tencent, NetEase, and Activision Blizzard all held their respective spots as the top three publishers for the second year in a row. Leading social brands, mixi and Line led in app store monetization with the strong performance of games and entertainment apps in their portfolios. Subscription revenue is outpacing overall market growth as demand for entertainment and dating apps soars, pushing IAC and Netflix to leadership positions.
Each year, we see publishers that make impressive gains in the rankings, while also welcoming new publishers into the list. Companies that made significant jumps include Zynga , Google and Scopely, who all moved up ten places. Publishers Disney, Sea, Moon Active made it into The Top 52, in addition to a rising number of game publishers in China such as Lilith, 37games, Long Tech Network and Yotta Games.
Congratulations to this distinguished and diverse group of mobile publishers. We are grateful to have the privilege to work with so many of these industry leaders and witness their continued innovation and creativity as they deliver amazing consumer experiences.
The Top 52 Publisher Award winners are ranked as follows:
Typically, App Annie celebrates its winners with gala events. This year, due to coronavirus concerns, App Annie unveiled a Top Publisher Awards microsite that features top publisher announcements across countries, regions, and industries. It also features videos from App Annie executives and customers, and will be updated with new articles and videos over the next few weeks, showcasing winners and their tips for success.