Roku and Amazon Even in U.S. OTT Market: Research Company
While Amazon’s boast of 34 million Fire TV active users last week positions the OTT platform as the biggest in the world, Roku and its 29.1 million active users remain on par with Amazon in the U.S.
“It is important to recognize that Amazon aggressively sells Fire TV boxes and sticks internationally. Conversely, though, Roku is available in nearly two dozen countries, to this point domestic U.S. sales make up the vast majority of its sales,” TDG said in a posting Tuesday.
According to TDG, Roku controls 50.8% of the U.S. streaming box market compared to 28.5% for Amazon Fire TV. Meanwhile, Fire TV controls 56.6% of the U.S. streaming stick market, vs. 30.2% for Roku.
“When we total stick and box users together, and broaden our focus from user households to all broadband households, 21% use a Roku and 23% use a Fire TV, putting the two about even domestically,” TDG said.
Notably, TDG's analysis leaves out the percentage of U.S. OTT consumers accessing the Roku and Amazon ecosystems through smart TVs.
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Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!