More than a quarter of US homes will have a streaming player by 2015, according to research from Parks Associates, reported by Rapid TV News – driven largely by the increasing availability of devices such as Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
The Evolving Market for Streaming Media Devices report reveals that at the end of 2013, Roku accounted for 46% of streaming media players purchased in the US that year, while rival Apple accounted for just 26%.
The research forecasts total global sales of streaming players to reach nearly 50 million by 2017, with broadband household penetration in the US surpassing 38%.
Barbara Kraus, director of research at Parks Associates, said that multiple factors have allowed Roku to outpace Apple in the US.
“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,” Kraus said.
“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.”
Amazon unveiled its new streaming device for high-definition TVs earlier this year. Amazon Fire TV gives users access to services such as Netflix, Prime Instant Video, YouTube and Hulu Plus, alongside over 200,000 films and TV programmes from Instant Video.
