For the vast majority of households, the smart TV is the biggest screen in the home. Smart TVs have more capabilities than ever nowadays; not only can you stream your favorite on-demand services like Apple TV or [Prime Video via a smart TV, but newer models can even be used as art displays, to stream music, play games, or countless other functions. New data from Ampere Analysis reflects how much smart TV usage has increased among American audiences in recent years, particularly amongst one key age demographic.

Key Details:

• Americans spend 31% of their total viewing time with smart TVs, more than any other connected device.
• Smart TV ownership has grown to 78% of all American consumers.
• Audiences aged 55 to 64 have increased their smart TV viewing of streaming services by 61%.

According to Ampere, smart TV viewership in the United States has risen to one hour and 35 minutes per day, on average. Thirty-one percent of viewing time amongst internet users is now done on a smart TV, which is higher than any other device overall. Streaming services are noting the change, as well; for example, YouTube recently revealed that its platform is now streamed more on smart TVs than on phones or any other device.

Time spent watching smart TVs has grown 27% between the third quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2024. Partially, this is due to the increase in the number of smart TVs now found in U.S. homes; as of Q3 2024, 78% of American internet customers own a smart TV, versus just 59% in Q3 2016.

Perhaps the most key figure for streaming services in Ampere’s data is the fact that 55 to 64-year-olds are increasingly engaging with their smart TVs. Viewership of streaming services by this age group has risen 61%, faster growth than any other group measured by Ampere. This cohort has traditionally been the slowest to adopt streaming, so it’s very good news for streamers to see them engage with streaming products on smart TVs more readily.

Samsung is still the top-owned brand on the market, but it has definite competition. TCL is making great strides among American consumers, and the proportion of smart TV households that own a TCL set has increased by nearly 50% since 2019.

“As engagement with streaming services continues to grow, so does the uptake of Smart TVs which provide easy access to a range of platforms,” said Ampere research manager Annabel Yeomans. “As one of the most advanced streaming markets globally, the US has seen some of the strongest growth in uptake and Ampere expects this to continue, particularly among older audiences who are watching more streaming services.”