Mobile Market Country Profile: France A Maturing App Market On The Brink Of MNO Consolidation

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The 20,000 Foot View

France is one of the leading European app markets. Like other key markets in the region, the French app market is already maturing with annual revenue and app buyer growth set to slow to single digits by 2020. With this shift in market dynamics, average revenue per user (ARPU) will gain importance. Though Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) traditionally do not actively participate in shaping the app market, there are two potential ways for them to do so. These are connected to the potential consolidation of the French MNO market as well as the rising threat of network level ad-blocking in Europe.

Key Findings

• France is the        largest app market in Europe with        million revenue in 2014
       of French smartphone users are app users 
• French annual app revenue growth will slow from        in 2014 to        in 2020
• French app buyers have a shorter tail of low spenders compared to the UK
• Though French app buyers have a higher percentage of high spenders, their average spend is lower than in UK
• App buying will remain a niche activity in France with only        of app users spending on or in apps by 2020
• Despite typically having the lowest disposable income,        years olds are the largest age segment of French app buyers with         
       of French app buyers spend between        and        per month on apps
• Nearly half of French app buyers are over        years old
• French MNOs are seeking market consolidation and the resulting implications will affect consumers’ app budgets

Companies mentioned in this report:        Bouygues Telecom, Digicel, Free Mobile, Orange, SFR, Shine