A new report from Parks Associates sheds light on the growing streaming media player market. By Parks estimates, 1 in 4 homes (25%) will have a streaming media player, sometimes referred to as an OTT set-top-box (STB) by 2016. These include players from Roku, Apple TV, and the latest from Amazon, Amazon Fire TV, among others.
Parks is only focused on the streaming media player for this study. If you include streaming capabilities of game consoles, DVD/Blu-ray players, HDMI sticks, and smart TVs, the amount of homes that can stream OTT content rises dramatically. Market research firm LRG recently announced that close to half (49%) of U.S. TV households have some form of streaming content capability tied to their TV.
Roku Market Share
Roku leads the crowded pack of streaming media players according to Parks, garnering 46% of the market. Apple TV comes in second at 26%. Among broadband households with a streaming media player, Roku is used in 44% of them.
“Multiple factors have allowed Roku to outpace Apple in U.S. sales and usage,” said Barbara Kraus, director, research, Parks Associates in a press release. “Roku has always had a close association with Netflix, the largest source of video downloads, and currently offers more than 1,700 channel apps as well as a choice of models with different features and price points, all of which appeal to consumers’ purchasing instincts. With Amazon entering this CE category, there will be renewed pressure on all players to develop the best combination of ‘can’t miss’ content with a simple and intuitive interface. “
