Sensor Tower Report Analysis
Whether it’s the World Cup, the Olympics, or a national league final—for mobile apps, these aren’t just good opportunities to share information. A major tournament can completely change audience behavior for several weeks: users watch live broadcasts, check scores, study statistics, order food, place bets, buy sports merchandise, and play games related to their favorite teams.
During such periods, the usual competition for attention temporarily shifts. Categories that typically exist in parallel find themselves united by a single event. Streaming services compete with sports media, results apps with social networks, bookmakers with prediction markets, and delivery and e-commerce services try to integrate themselves into the match-viewing experience.
Sensor Tower’s latest report, Beyond the Game: The Sports Report 2026, illustrates the scale of this effect using examples such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, the WNBA, and other major competitions. Analysts examine not only sports apps but also streaming, digital advertising, betting, mobile games, and fan behavior online.
According to AdKeys experts, the report’s main takeaway is clear: major events create brief but extremely intense spikes in user demand that extend far beyond the sports industry. And the top performers aren’t necessarily the largest apps, but rather those that have prepared their product, advertising campaign, and user retention strategies in advance.
Major Soccer Leagues Mean High Traffic for Mobile Apps
During a match, while watching the game on TV or via a streaming service, fans check lineups, player stats, results from other matches, the standings, odds, and discussions on social media.
This is how “second-screen” behavior takes shape: the main event unfolds on the big screen, while the smartphone provides additional context.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup particularly highlighted the power of this scenario. In the second quarter of 2026, apps in the Sports News, Statistics & Live Scores reached a record 137 million downloads worldwide. The most significant growth occurred immediately before the tournament began and in the first few weeks after it started.
This is clearly illustrated by the example of FotMob in the U.S. Before the tournament began, the app was getting about 30,000 installs per week. During the first three weeks of the tournament, the average rose to 97,000—more than triple the previous figure. At the same time, the weekly active user base increased from 1.2 million to 1.6 million. Other major services, including Sofascore, 365Scores, and LiveScore, also saw growth.
The World Cup has led to a sharp increase in downloads and active users of apps
featuring scores, statistics, and sports news
The numbers reveal an important characteristic of event-driven traffic: users don’t open the app because they’ve suddenly become interested in a new technology or brand. They already have a specific need: to check the score, receive a goal notification, view the schedule, or review statistics.
Therefore, conversion to app installs can increase significantly during such periods even without a radical change to the product. The demand already exists—the app just needs to be in the user’s field of view at the right moment.
However, this doesn’t mean it’s enough to simply increase your advertising budget on the opening day of the tournament. By that time, the market is already oversaturated, and competitors are actively buying traffic. Preparation must begin earlier: by updating the semantic core, localizing the app’s landing page, creating event-based screenshots, and tailoring ad campaigns to different stages of the competition.
The Local Market May Prove to Be More Important Than Global Reach
A sporting event does not affect all countries in the same way. Even a global tournament has markets where interest, traffic value, and user scenarios differ dramatically.
In the second quarter of 2026, the number of sports app downloads in Latin America reached a record 77 million. This demonstrates the strong influence soccer continues to have in the region, including on mobile activity.
Latin America became one of the main hubs for growth in sports apps during the World Cup
But simply translating a global campaign into Spanish or Portuguese isn’t enough. In different countries, users follow different teams, use different payment methods, have their own media preferences, and respond differently to advertising messages.
In one country, creative featuring the national team might work better, while in another, creative featuring a specific player or a historic rivalry might be more effective. In some places, users value live broadcasts; in others, they prefer short recaps, statistics, or the ability to make predictions.
Therefore, geographic segmentation must go deeper than the standard division by language. For each priority country, it’s advisable to identify specific teams of interest, peaks in activity, popular formats, and user barriers.
This is especially important for apps planning to scale through a major event. A global campaign allows you to quickly build reach, but local campaigns typically connect the product more precisely to the user’s emotional context.
A Long Tournament Is More Effective Than a Single Grand Final
The World Cup had a particularly noticeable impact on betting and prediction apps. In the U.S., weekly downloads of betting apps during the first three weeks of the tournament exceeded the figures for the week of Super Bowl LX. According to Sensor Tower, the World Cup was the biggest driver of user acquisition in this category over the past two years.
In the U.S., the first few weeks of the World Cup drove stronger growth in downloads
for betting apps than Super Bowl LX did
This is quite remarkable, since the Super Bowl is traditionally considered one of the major events in the American advertising market. But the World Cup has a significant advantage: it lasts several weeks and consists of numerous matches. For an app, this means not just a single peak but a whole series of opportunities for engagement. The group stage, knockout rounds, surprising results, and the final allow for regular updates to creatives, push notifications, and promotions.
Unlike a one-day event, the tournament fosters a habit. Users may open the app daily to check results and return before the next match. It is this repetition that makes the World Cup particularly valuable not only for user acquisition but also for early retention.
The marketer’s task is to leverage the rhythm of the tournament rather than treating it as a single large advertising campaign. Messages should evolve as the event unfolds. Before the tournament starts, you can promote the schedule and predictions; during the group stage, focus on live features; and as the final approaches, highlight personal statistics, special offers, and re-engagement strategies.
Prediction Markets Are Emerging as a New Competitor to Bookmakers
One of the most interesting trends highlighted in the report was the rapid growth of prediction markets—platforms where users trade contracts based on the probability of a specific event.
Among the U.S. sports wagering audience, traditional bookmakers still hold the lead, but their share of the category’s monthly active audience fell from 76% in 2023 to 64% in the first half of 2026. Over the same period, prediction markets grew from less than 1% to 16%.
This shift is most closely associated with Kalshi. The platform’s penetration among users of wagering apps grew from less than 1% in early 2025 to nearly 9% by May 2026. At the same time, about 16% of PrizePicks and Underdog users also used Kalshi.
And here’s an important point: prediction markets do not necessarily replace traditional betting. They can serve as a complementary product within a single user scenario.
For mobile marketing, this means that competitors can no longer be defined solely by their app store category. Users are capable of dividing their attention among sportsbooks, fantasy sports, live-score apps, prediction platforms, and social networks.
Competition isn’t about which category a user belongs to, but about specific moments: where the user will check the odds, where they’ll discuss a match, and where they’ll make a prediction.
That’s why analyzing audience overlap becomes particularly important. It helps us understand which products are used together, which features users consider interchangeable, and where we can look for new segments to target.
Regulation Opened Up the Market. The World Cup Spurred Demand
A separate case study in the report focuses on Brazil, where the regulated online betting market launched in 2025. The World Cup was the first global soccer event of this scale to take place after the market regulations changed.
Betano maintained its leadership: the average number of weekly downloads rose from 320,000 in the three weeks leading up to the tournament to 619,000 in the first three weeks of the World Cup. The app’s weekly active audience exceeded 5 million users.
However, bet365 showed the sharpest growth among major operators. Its average weekly downloads increased approximately fivefold compared to the three weeks before the tournament began.
This example illustrates just how powerful the combination of three factors can be: established demand, regulatory changes, and a major sporting event.
However, entering a growing market requires more than just a large advertising budget. It is essential to take into account local requirements, payment infrastructure, creative restrictions, responsible gaming rules, and attribution specifics. Speed of launch is also important, but a mistake in preparation can cost more than lost traffic. Therefore, legal and technical planning must proceed in parallel with marketing efforts.
Women's Sports Are Becoming a Full-Fledged Advertising Channel
Another notable trend is the growing audience for women’s sports. This is no longer just a short-term surge in interest, but the emergence of a sustainable market.
The installed base of the official WNBA app grew from 302,000 users in the first quarter of 2024 to 1.57 million in the second quarter of 2026. While it accounted for about 13% of the NBA’s installed base at the beginning of 2022, by the first quarter of 2026 it had exceeded 60%.
Even more important are the engagement metrics. In the second quarter of 2026, the number of active users remained more than 30 times higher than in the first quarter of 2022. This indicates that a significant portion of the audience did not disappear after the initial surge of interest.
Audience growth is also changing the composition of advertisers. The number of ad impressions from Health & Wellness companies related to the WNBA increased tenfold year-over-year, Consumer Packaged Goods nearly eightfold, and Gaming more than doubled.
For brands, this means the emergence of a promising channel that may currently be less saturated than the major men’s leagues. Moreover, the opportunities aren’t limited to sports merchandise. Women’s sports attract an audience interested in wellness apps, e-commerce, gaming, fashion, financial services, and lifestyle services.
It’s important not to view this market as a seasonal trend and not to limit yourself to a mere formal presence. An effective strategy requires an understanding of the audience, the athletes, the league’s context, and the cultural characteristics of the community.
Sports Events Extend Far Beyond Sports Apps
One of the report’s key insights is that sporting events don’t just impact apps that provide scores and betting information.
During the Super Bowl, the number of DoorDash sessions rose by 99%. Meanwhile, impressions of sports-themed ads for software products ahead of the NBA Finals increased by 1,996%.
At first glance, food delivery and software seem far removed from sports. But a major event creates a shared context into which virtually any category can fit.
Different competitions attract different types of advertisers: the Super Bowl’s advertising ecosystem
is noticeably different from that of the World Cup, the NBA, or MLB
A delivery service doesn’t just sell food—it sells convenience while watching a game. E-commerce sells party supplies and merchandise. A financial app can use prediction mechanics. A fitness service offers workouts modeled after famous athletes. A mobile game features a themed event or limited-time mode.
The key is to find a natural connection between the product and user behavior. An artificially added soccer ball in a standard ad is unlikely to significantly improve results. But an offer tied to a real-life scenario during a game can increase the ad’s relevance.
The Main Problem With Event-Related Traffic Begins After the Finale
A major tournament can quickly attract thousands or even millions of users. But an increase in app installs doesn’t necessarily mean long-term business growth—once the competition ends, user needs change. An app that was essential several times a day becomes unnecessary after the final whistle.
Therefore, a retention strategy must be developed before the advertising campaign begins.
A live-score app can transition users from the World Cup to the national league or their favorite club. A streaming service can offer other sports content. A betting app can introduce users to new markets and features. E-commerce can turn a one-time buyer into a loyalty program member.
It’s important to collect user preferences during their very first sessions: favorite teams, leagues, sports, and notification formats. This allows you to switch from mass event-based communication to personalized communication once the event is over.
How to Prepare Your App for the Next Major Event
Preparation should cover the entire user journey—from the first ad impression to the post-event scenario.
- For ASO, it’s important to update keywords, descriptions, screenshots, and promotional content in advance. At the same time, it’s crucial to follow the rules regarding the use of tournament names, logos, images of athletes, and other intellectual property.
- In paid user acquisition (UA), it’s best to segment campaigns by event stages, countries, and user motivations. One segment is looking for results, another for live streams, and a third for betting or social interaction. The same creative won’t work well for everyone.
- Within the app, users should be immediately placed in a relevant context. If an ad promises a schedule for a specific tournament, users shouldn’t have to search through multiple screens to find it after installing the app. Deep links, personalized onboarding, and dedicated landing pages shorten the path to the desired action.
- Finally, analytics should distinguish between event-driven audiences and regular audiences. Retention, LTV, session frequency, and price sensitivity can vary significantly among these users. Without segmentation, a high volume of low-cost installs can create the illusion of a successful campaign, but once the tournament ends, most of the audience will disappear.
Major Sports Aren't Just About a Single Promotional Day
A Sensor Tower report shows that a sporting event encompasses a whole range of user scenarios. Fans don’t just watch the game—they simultaneously use apps, read the news, order food, chat, play games, buy merchandise, and make predictions.
For mobile brands, this creates a huge number of touchpoints. And it’s not just sports apps that can take advantage of them.
But the event itself doesn’t guarantee results. It merely temporarily boosts demand. To turn that demand into growth, an app must prepare its ASO, creatives, media plan, product scenarios, and retention mechanics in advance. And don’t forget the key question:
What will the user do in the app the day after the tournament ends?
Companies that can answer this question in advance will gain not just a short-term surge in traffic, but a new, loyal audience.
