Top Fantasy Sports App Downloads 2025: Dream11 at the Summit

Dream11 — a fantasy cricket app tied to the Indian Premier League (IPL) — was the most-downloaded fantasy sports app worldwide in 2024, outpacing major US and European rivals as the IPL’s massive audience continues to drive app adoption and ancillary services.

Dream11 leads downloads, driven by IPL passion

Dream11 recorded roughly 44 million installs in 2024, making it the single most-downloaded fantasy sports app that year and exceeding the combined downloads of the top U.S. fantasy apps. By contrast, the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and other well-known Western titles trailed by wide margins.

Why cricket matters here

The IPL’s reach — reported to have exceeded one billion viewers across TV and digital platforms during recent seasons — feeds a huge, cricket-centric user base that naturally converts into fantasy-app installs and engagement spikes around tournament windows. Broadcasters’ fierce bidding and platform competition have expanded distribution and visibility for cricket-linked apps.

Engagement: installs ≠ active users

Although Dream11 led in downloads, high install counts do not always translate to sustained usage.

Industry data show about 70 million active fantasy-sports users in 2024, up modestly from the prior year, while legacy Western apps such as ESPN, Yahoo and DraftKings tend to keep larger, more consistently active installed bases.

Different business models, different retention

• India-focused fantasy apps often benefit from tournament-driven spikes (IPL windows), marketing push and wide regional visibility.
• U.S. incumbents rely on year-round league schedules (NFL, NBA, MLB), cross-product ecosystems and recurring daily/seasonal engagement to maintain retention and monetization.

Market size, revenue sources and adjacent services

The fantasy-sports app market generated roughly $2.3 billion in app revenue in the last reported year, with income coming from ads, personalization, and peer-to-peer or group wagers (platforms typically take a cut of such wagers).

At the same time, interest in real-time scores and news surged: around 450 million people accessed sports score and news apps in 2024, a jump of ~72 million year-on-year — benefitting live-score platforms like 365Scores, Flashscore and Sofascore.

Revenue mix and pressure points

Monetization varies: while wagering and contest fees can drive high ARPU for fantasy operators, advertising and data-driven personalization remain important revenue streams — especially for score/news apps and platforms that combine live data, fantasy and social features.

What this means for publishers and rights holders

The IPL-era growth shows how sporting-event scale + broadcast distribution = platform opportunity. As broadcasters (and new streaming entrants) fight for rights, distribution consolidation and promotional tie-ins will continue to shift where and how users find fantasy products.

Meanwhile, regulators and policy changes (especially around betting) remain a material risk to business models that rely on paid contests or wager-like mechanics.

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Editor’s Comments

The 2024 snapshot makes a clear point: global reach matters more than league familiarity. An event with IPL-scale reach can lift associated apps above longstanding Western incumbents in raw installs — but installs are an incomplete success metric. Sustainable value comes from consistent engagement, diversified monetization and regulatory resilience.

Looking ahead, expect three trends to shape the next 24 months:

1. Platform convergence. Score/news apps that add fantasy and community features (or vice-versa) will gain share by increasing daily utility.
2. Rights-driven subscriber dynamics. Whoever secures live rights (and pairs them with smart streaming UX) will control the funnel from casual viewer → engaged user → paying customer.
3. Regulatory variability. Local rules on skill-vs-gambling distinctions and online wagering will force product changes and regional go-to-market differentiation; operators with flexible product design and compliance capability will have an edge.

Publishers and advertisers should treat 2024 figures as both an opportunity and a warning: big tournament windows produce scale, but long-term monetization and retention demand year-round product value, cross-platform distribution, and an ability to navigate evolving regulation.