Survey: Nearly 8 in 10 Homes Now Have a Smart TV as Streaming Dongle Usage Wanes
Data from Hub Research shows that smart TV usage has continued to climb steadily in recent years, but use of streaming players has flattened.
Smart TVs and streaming services have something of a symbiotic relationship. Streaming services give viewers a reason to abandon their old, unconnected linear TVs, since these sets have no way of delivering platforms like Hulu, Netflix or Prime Video on their own. Smart TVs, on the other hand, can provide this content seamlessly to audiences, and new data from Hub Research shows that streaming has had a big part in the continued adoption of smart TVs in homes around the United States.
- According to Hub, 79% of U.S. homes now own a smart TV set.
- Nearly two-thirds (62%) of households stream video weekly on their smart TV.
- Use of plug-in or set-top streaming players has flattened out, showing more viewers are comfortable with smart TVs.
The numbers from Hub show that 79% of American households now own at least one smart TV. That number represents a big jump in the last four years; in 2020, 66% of households identified as smart TV homes. Adoption of smart TVs jumped tremendously between 2020 and 2022, as new streaming services like Disney+, Apple TV+ and Peacock hit the market to tempt viewers with content.
Such streamers have clearly made an impact on the increasing usage of smart TVs in the U.S. Hub’s numbers show that in 2021, only 47% of viewers streamed video on their smart TVs every week. But as the number of smart TV-owning homes increases, so has the percentage of audiences who use their sets to stream video regularly; in 2024, 62% of viewers report using their smart TV to stream weekly.
The only losers in this equation seem to be manufacturers of streaming dongles like Roku and Amazon Fire TV. The Hub survey found that usage of connected streaming players has leveled off in the past few years; 56% of homes say they have such a device in 2024, the same number who claimed to own them in 2023. Since 2021, the number of homes that own a streaming stick or box has only climbed three percentage points.
Does Device Matter Among Streaming Audiences?
Hub’s numbers make it clear that audiences are becoming increasingly choosy about the devices they use to stream video. Smart TVs remove the need to plug in a new device, set up its connection to their home internet and keep track of yet another remote, each points of friction associated with streaming player ownership. Having an all-in-one device clearly appeals to streaming-minded viewers.
The survey from Hub also shows that viewers aren’t ready to move to wearable smart TVs quite yet. It asked viewers their thoughts on the new Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset, and while nearly 50% of consumers have heard of the device, its $3,500 price sticker means that 76% of respondents identified as “not at all likely” to buy the headset, regardless of interest level.
The data may show why Netflix was hesitant to create a new, dedicated app for Apple Vision Pro sets. With so many customers unwilling to spend what it takes to get an Apple Vision Pro, Netflix’s number crunchers likely didn’t see the value in laying out the money needed to create a new app for the device’s unique operating system. Disney+ and Max both created new apps for the Apple Vision Pro that allow viewers to watch content and explore mixed reality environments.
The relationship between smart TV ownership and streaming video is plain to see. Hub’s data backs up recent research from Inscape, which showed that in the fourth quarter of 2023 93% of streaming time spent on smart TVs was done by people who used streaming as their primary or only means of watching TV. Customers are more often thinking of smart TVs as the default device for watching favorite streaming services, which explains why companies like Roku are expanding their smart TV offerings.