Roku becomes the No.1 streaming TV platform in the U.S.

Strategy Analytics' latest research report, "US Connected TV Device Vendor Market Share, Q1 2019", points out that in Q1 2019, Roku's streaming TV platform accounted for more than 30% of US connected TV device sales, further enhancing its leading position in streaming TV platforms. The report found that there are more than 41 million Roku-based devices in use, accounting for 15.2% of all media streaming devices, including Roku streaming media and Roku-based smart TVs. In terms of devices used, Roku is 36% higher than its biggest competitor, Sony PlayStation. The report predicts that by the end of this year, this lead will expand to 70%, mainly due to the success of Roku's smart TV partner strategy.

Other key findings from the report include:

 Amazon’s Fire TV OS was the second-largest streaming TV platform in Q1 2019, accounting for 12% of sales; Samsung’s Tizen followed with 11% of sales, and Google (Android TV and Chromecast) had 9%.

 By the end of 2019, Roku-powered devices will be in use at more than 52 million units, representing 18% of all connected media devices.

David Watkins, Director at Strategy Analytics and author of the report, commented, “Roku had another strong quarter in Q1 and continues to lead the streaming platform pack, despite the growing influence of Amazon devices in the home. Roku’s broad content offering, comprehensive search capabilities and simple, intuitive user interface are key factors in its success, along with reasonable pricing and regularly updated software. Roku has successfully built a well-respected and trusted brand in the US, with no hidden agenda when it comes to promoting content on its platform. However, the company is less well-known outside of the US, and in order to succeed on the international stage it will need to face the dual challenges of building brand awareness and luring users away from established players such as Amazon, Apple and Google.”

David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, “The smart TV market saw record growth in Q1 2019, and Roku and TCL have proven to be a great partnership in this fast-growing segment. Roku is set to become the largest smart TV platform in the US this year in terms of sales share, and Google and Amazon will clearly have an uphill battle to catch up to the market leaders.”

Note: Connected media devices include smart TVs, digital media streamers, and gaming consoles