Pokémon Sleep overtook other sleep tracking apps in its first month

A couple months ago, a new Pokémon-branded app appeared on the App Store and Google Play, the purpose of which everyone was somewhat surprised a few years ago at the time of the announcement. Pokémon Sleep is a sleep tracking app dedicated to Pokémon, led by mascot Snorlax, a sleepy Pokémon.

Sleep tracking is a handy niche with a small number of competitors, each making millions of dollars each month. So why not invade it and get a piece of the revenue?

Was Pokémon Sleep able to beat the competition simply because of its brand, will the new app compete with them, or will it simply become a niche app for Pokémon fans?

The app has been around for three months now, so to answer these questions, let’s take a look at its revenue.

AppFigures estimates that in its first month, Pokémon Sleep outpaced its main competitors in revenue. But the second month was a record-breaking month. In August, Pokémon Sleep generated $5.8 million in net revenue on the App Store and Google Play. Net revenue is what’s left over after Apple and Google get their commissions.

Competitors, meanwhile, saw a noticeable dip in revenue. Sleep Cycle and ShutEye are two popular sleep tracking apps that you’re likely to stumble upon when searching for any combination of keywords involving sleep and tracking. They’ve been consistently ranked number one in this category for quite some time now.

However, 2023 hasn’t been a good year for sleep tracking, especially on the App Store, thanks to Apple adding sleep tracking to the Health app. While it’s not quite the same and not quite as functional, it’s pretty hard to compete with something pre-installed, especially as a paid solution.

Looking at revenue, the trend is pretty clear. Both Sleep Cycle and ShutEye saw double-digit revenue drops from January to June – even before Snorlax entered the market.

Earning more than the leaders in the first month while the leaders are falling is not a bad accomplishment. And to grow revenue more than 4 times the leaders in the second month is just incredible.

In September, though, revenue was down slightly to $4.4 million, which is still 4 times that of the competition.

But here’s the interesting thing – it doesn’t look like the app is taking those revenues away from its competitors. Pokémon Sleep works in its own audience, likely monetizing brand fans more than users in need of a sleep tracker.

This is aided by Pokémon Sleep’s lack of proper ASO – if you search for any combination of the words “sleep” and “tracking,” you won’t find the app without scrolling through a lot of pages. Yes, it’s a missed opportunity, but it was probably intended that way because the publisher just doesn’t care. It’s targeting a different contingent of users.