Roku Makes the Most Popular Streaming Players in the United States
The ease of use on Roku home screens and the availability of its devices have made Roku the top seller on the U.S. market.
When quarterly earnings reports come out every three months, much of the focus in the streaming world is on services like Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video. Everyone wants to know how many subscribers these services have added, how much revenue they brought in, etc. That leaves less room for focus on streaming device makers like Roku, which create the players that allow many viewers to access their favorite streamers from their TV screens. However, new data from Parks Associates found that Roku was the maker of the most-used streaming devices in the United States, reinforcing data from Roku itself that the second quarter was a strong one in terms of sales.
Key Details:
- In a survey of 8,000 internet households, Parks found that Roku was the most-used streaming device by 43% of respondents.
- Amazon Fire TV devices were second, with 35% of participants saying they used one most frequently.
- Roku’s second-quarter earnings report stated that it led all competitors in terms of device sales in the U.S.
The simple-to-use Roku home screen has made its devices popular among customers for years, and, thanks to Parks, there is a new way to quantify that popularity. Its survey of 8,000 internet-using homes in the United States found that 43% of respondents identified Roku as the maker of their most-used streaming device in the home.
Amazon Fire TV was the second-most-used device manufacturer in Parks’ survey, with 35% of participants saying it was their go-to streaming player. Apple TV and Google Chromecast devices also took up significant market share, but neither come close to challenging the dominance of Roku.
“Historically, Amazon and Roku have dominated the streaming media player market, and our research shows their dominance continues,” Parks research analyst Sarah Lee said. “Other competitors such as Apple and Google have held on to their respective shares but do not show much growth as of yet.”
Parks’ data also found that streaming devices like Roku players continue to trail behind smart TVs as the main method that American audiences use to stream video. Smart TVs are now found in 68% of American households according to the data, and 56% consider them their main video-watching device. Conversely, connected streaming players are found in 46% of American households, and 34% consider them their primary streaming method. That data goes a long way toward explaining why Roku has launched multiple lines of in-house manufactured smart TVs in the past few years.
The data from Parks reinforces triumphant claims made by Roku in its second-quarter earnings report. In the report, the company said it had devices in more than 120 million homes, and that it was the No. 1 selling TV operating system in the United States during the quarter.
The news is mostly good for Roku these days, as it saw its free streaming platform The Roku Channel hit a new record in viewership in the month of June, according to Nielsen. There is at least one cloud looming on the horizon, however; Roku now faces a lawsuit filed last week by Dolby, alleging that it is improperly distributing Dolby software in violation of the licensing agreement between the two.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free live TV streaming service that provides 350+ live linear streaming channels and more than 80,000 free movies and TV shows. The library contains entertainment from several different decades, including some major hits.