Sep 16, 2026
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Read Article Sportsbooks outpaced by prediction markets in NFL Week 1 downloads
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Written by Damien Souness, Chief Experience Officer
Reviewed by Nick Slade
Polymarket and Kalshi combined for more than 1.35 million downloads as US gaming app downloads reached 3 million.
The NFL's return drove 3.0 million US gaming app downloads during Week 1, up 11% year over year, according to data from Citizens.
But the biggest names in traditional sports betting did not lead the way.
Polymarket recorded 762,000 downloads, followed by Kalshi with 592,000, putting the two prediction market platforms comfortably ahead of DraftKings at 415,000 and FanDuel at 265,000.
| App | NFL Week 1 DLs |
|---|---|
| Polymarket | 762,000 |
| Kalshi | 592,000 |
| DraftKings | 415,000 |
| FanDuel | 265,000 |
| Sleeper | 239,000 |
| bet365 | 104,000 |
| Hard Rock | 97,000 |
| PrizePicks | 94,000 |
| Fanatics | 81,000 |
| BetMGM | 64,000 |
| Underdog | 47,000 |
| Caesars | 40,000 |
| Rebet | 36,000 |
| Betr | 36,000 |
| Novig | 28,000 |
| BetRivers | 28,000 |
| theScore | 26,000 |
| Bally Bet | 22,000 |
| Fliff | 16,000 |
| Dabble | 13,000 |
| Chalkboard | 6,000 |
| ProphetX | 4,000 |
The concentration at the top is striking. Polymarket and Kalshi alone accounted for about 1.35 million downloads, or roughly 45% of the total, while only five apps cleared 200,000 downloads.
The Citizens data covers a broader group of gaming apps, including sportsbooks, prediction markets, and other sports gaming products, so the numbers should not be read as a direct comparison of sportsbook market share.
Still, the acquisition picture is notable.
Prediction markets also produced record trading activity around the opening NFL weekend, with Kalshi reaching $4.89 billion in total trading volume.
The download numbers also show how fragmented the market becomes beyond the leaders. Sleeper was the only other app above 200,000 downloads, while bet365 recorded 104,000, Hard Rock 97,000, PrizePicks 94,000, Fanatics 81,000, and BetMGM 64,000.
For the industry, the more important question is what happens after the install.
An app download does not necessarily become a funded account, an active bettor or trader, or a long-term customer. But as an early measure of who won attention during the NFL's biggest acquisition week, the Citizens data points clearly toward prediction markets.
And with Polymarket and Kalshi now competing for NFL users alongside established sportsbooks, the battle for new customers is no longer being fought only between the traditional betting operators.
To give you the most accurate and helpful information, this article has been reviewed and edited by Nick Slade through our fact-checking process.
Damien Souness is Chief Experience Officer at Cipher Sports Technology Group, helping lead sports media brands such as Dimers. He specializes in creating trustworthy and data-driven content for sports fans, with experience working for globally recognized sports and media organizations.
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