More than 60% of audiences use TV as primary streaming device
More than 60% of audiences use TV as primary streaming device
Viewers are continuing to shift away from connected streaming sticks, preferring instead to stream straight from their set.
Television technology is continuing to improve year by year. Streaming video directly from smart TV apps is incredibly easy to do, and takes a lot less loading and buffering time than it did ten years ago. Back then, nearly everyone had a streaming player connected to their TV to help make streaming a quicker process, but the improvement of smart TVs since then means that viewers don’t really have to rely on Roku or Apple TV devices like they used to. Now, new data from Parks Associates is highlighting just how many people are using their smart TVs to stream video directly.
Key Details:
- Growing majority: Sixty-one percent of internet households now use a smart TV as their primary streaming device.
- To the victor: The Samsung Tizen operating system is the most often used set among major manufacturers.
- Not going anywhere: Roku still leads all connected TV devices when accounting for streaming players and game consoles.
According to the research from Parks Associates, 61% of internet households in the United States are now using a smart TV as their primary method of streaming. It’s a strong majority, and shows that consumers are happy to skip the step of adding a streaming player when their TV can handle the load.
With so many manufacturers competing for the attention of consumers, the TV marketplace is quite fragmented in the U.S. Parks’ data shows that 34% of smart TV owners identify Samsung as their most-used smart TV, but LG, VIZIO, and Roku all have a strong presence in American homes, along with other brands like Amazon Fire TV and Google TV.
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The data isn’t all doom and gloom for Roku, however. When accounting for all primary connected TV devices in U.S. homes, including game consoles and streaming players, Roku has the largest market share at 28%. It’s also worth noting that Roku’s in-house TVs are helping it expand its presence in the smart TV space, as it now accounts for 18% of that market — up from 8% in 2020.
That market share may continue to grow in 2026, as in October, Roku announced a partnership with Phillips on a new line of backlit TVs made with Ambilite — the first time Ambilite has partnered with a TV maker to sell sets in the U.S.
“Smart TVs are the default way consumers access video, and so the OS has become the central point of competition,” Parks Associates SVP Jennifer Kent said. “Samsung’s leadership reflects the strategic value of platform scale, particularly as advertising, subscriptions, and service integration move directly into the TV interface.”
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers a broad mix of movies, TV shows, live linear channels, and original programming. Available to all viewers — not just Roku device owners — the service features licensed content from major studios alongside Roku Originals, which include exclusive series, movies, and specials previously produced for Quibi, as well as new original projects developed specifically for the platform.