Over 30 percent of all new TV streaming devices sold in the US last quarter ran Roku software, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics (via 9to5Google). The sales mean that Roku is now used on more than 41 million devices across the country. Roku’s share of sales was more than double that of both its closest competitors; Amazon’s Fire TV was present on 12 percent of devices sold, while Samsung’s Tizen could be found on 11 percent.
The figures don’t necessarily mean that Roku is selling millions of its standalone streaming devices, though. Along with being used on streaming boxes like the Roku Premiere, Roku’s straightforward software is also used as the built-in operating system for smart TVs such as those from TCL, JVC, Sharp, Philips US, and others.
According to Strategy Analytics, the five most popular streaming devices run software from Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, Samsung (Tizen), and Google, which includes Android TV as well as Chromecast devices.
Despite its perceived popularity and strong sales, Amazon’s Fire TV platform is in sixth place in terms of devices currently in use. These figures suggest that most people are content to use their TV’s built-in apps to stream video or rely on a gaming console they already own for entertainment. The days of the dedicated streaming boxes are hardly over, but it seems like most people aren’t rushing to buy a standalone set-top box nowadays.