Study: Sales of Streaming Media Players Slows

Parks Associates has announced new research showing 39% of US broadband households own a streaming media player, a mere 1% increase over 2018, indicating ownership has flattened, although purchase intentions are higher for 2019 compared to previous years.

360 Deep Dive: Adoption and Use of Connected Video Devices notes connected video device manufacturers may need to shift focus from hardware sales to service and advertising revenue, as ownership reaches saturation.

“Streaming media has reshaped how US consumers interact with entertainment content and services, so as the market matures, sales increasingly come at another vendor’s expense,” said Kristen Hanich, Sr. Analyst, Parks Associates. “Video-quality features are the most important factors when consumers buy a connected video device, although Roku and Amazon have certainly benefited among streaming media players by having broad product portfolios that include lower price points.”

Among streaming media players, Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV are the clear market leaders with almost 70% of the installed base of streaming media players in the United States. Consumer-reported data reveals that between Q1 2017 and Q1 2019, Roku’s share of the US SMP installed base grew from 37% to 39% while Amazon’s share of the installed base increased from 24% to 30%.

360 Deep Dive: Adoption and Use of Connected Video Devices presents an overview of the current state of the connected video device space, including smart TV platforms, streaming media devices, smart set-top boxes, and gaming consoles. It examines the changing roles of these devices and how consumers are engaging with new functionality, such as voice control and live TV integration.

“As the addressable market shrinks, rivalry increases. The combined installed base for Roku and Amazon is three times larger than the nearest competitor,” said Craig Leslie, Sr. Analyst, Parks Associates. “The adoption of Roku and Fire TV streaming media players continues to grow at the expense of Chromecast and Apple TV.”