10 Percent of US Broadband Households Purchased a Streaming Device in 2014

DALLAS, TX - Parks Associates announced updated streaming media device data showing 10 percent of U.S. broadband households purchased one of these devices, either a streaming media player or stick, in the first three quarters of 2014, already matching sales from 2013. The research finds Roku is still the leading brand with 29 percent of sales, but Google Chromecast (20 percent) has supplanted Apple TV (17 percent) in second place. New entrant Amazon Fire TV is in fourth place with 10 percent. Consumer content choices are also increasing, with Showtime and Sony planning to launch their own OTT video services to compete with Netflix and HBO.

"Nearly 50 percent of video content that U.S. consumers watch on a TV set is non-linear, up from 38 percent in 2010, and it is already the majority for people 18 to 44," said Barbara Kraus, director, research, Parks Associates. "The market is changing rapidly to account for these new digital media habits. Roku now offers a streaming stick, and Amazon’s Fire TV streaming stick leaves Apple as the only top player without a stick product in the streaming media device category."



Roku leads the U.S. market for streaming media devices, but Apple was ahead in global 2013 sales for streaming media players, as reported by Parks Associates in July. In 2013, Roku accounted for nearly one-half of streaming media players (46 percent) purchased in the U.S., while Apple had 26 percent. Both Roku and Apple have seen their shares of purchase decline with the launches of Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV.

"More than 25 percent of U.S. broadband households will have a streaming media player by 2015, and by 2017, there will be nearly 50 million streaming media players sold globally," Kraus said.