When it comes to streaming media players, Roku still reigns supreme followed by Google’s Chromecast, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
According to a report by Parks Associates, Roku was the leading brand with 29 percent of sales in the United States while Chromecast took over second place from Apple TV with a market share of 20 percent compared to Apple’s 17 percent. New entrant Amazon Fire TV was in fourth place with 10 percent.
Parks Associates said that 10 percent of the nation’s households had purchased a streaming media player or stick in the first three quarters of this year, which matched all of the sales from last year.
“Nearly 50 percent of video content that U.S. consumers watch on a TV set is non-linear, up from 38 percent in 2010, and it is already the majority for people 18-44,” said Barbara Kraus, director, research, Parks Associates. “The market is changing rapidly to account for these new digital media habits. Roku now offers a streaming stick, and Amazon’s Fire TV streaming stick leaves Apple as the only top player without a stick product in the streaming media device category.”
