Apple TV usage grew a staggering 709% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2018 but Roku still rules the big screen, according to a report by Conviva (via TechCrunch). More and more viewers prefer apps over browsers for streaming video.
Can Apple TV catch up?
In Q1 2018, 73% of all video streaming took place in apps. TV operating systems inside TVs and media players are leading the change in behavior. That is according to Conviva who collects viewing data from HBO, Hulu, ESPN, BT, Sky, and others for global video streaming usage statistics.
During the quarter, 23% of global video streaming took place on a Roku device when measured by viewing hours. Game consoles as a category is responsible for 14%, Amazon FireTV devices for 6%, and Apple TV for 5%.
However, Apple TV usage is growing faster than on any other platform at 709% year-over-year (measured in viewing hours). Part of it can probably be attributed to the launch Apple TV 4K in late 2017. Fire TV usage grew 411%, Xbox grew 259%, PlayStation grew 175%, and Roku grew 87% (but from a much larger base).
- ”In the battle for the room, Apple TV is aggressively growing, but Roku still rules,” said Conviva.
Chromecast is losing share
Chromecast usage has also increased year-over-year but it is losing share to other TV platforms in a fast-evolving market.
Smart TVs are not particularly popular with users, according to the data. Only Samsung’s Tizen platform is large enough to break free of the “Other TV” category.
It can also be noted that the balance between Android and iOS has tipped over the last year.
As TechCrunch notes, however, this is only a window into the market. Conviva’s system measured 4.8 billion viewing hours (up 114% year-over-year) in the first quarter of 2018 but Roku has said that its users alone streamed almost 15 billion hours of video last year. The data can nevertheless provide a good indication of where the market is headed.
The streaming market is growing globally and faster in the North America (174% year-over-year) than in any other region.
- Source: Conviva via TechCrunch, TheVideoInk
