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Amazon reportedly beats Apple TV in 2014 as streaming video gets serious

Amazon’s decision to enter the media streamer business has paid off, according to a study from Parks Associates.

The research firm found that Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick took third place in U.S. device shipments last year, overtaking Apple TV. Still, Roku held onto its lead from 2013, with 34 percent of shipments, while Google’s Chromecast remained in second place with 23 percent. Parks Associates says that nearly 20 percent of U.S. homes now own at least one streaming set-top box, while 8 percent own a stick-sized device such as Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, or Roku Streaming Stick.

Apple still hung onto third place in terms of device usage, with 17 percent, compared to 14 percent for Amazon devices. This makes sense given that iOS-powered Apple TV models have been on sale for a few years now. Again, Roku maintains a commanding lead with 37 percent, while Chromecast’s 19 percent doesn’t put it too far ahead for second place.

From the article "Amazon reportedly beats Apple TV in 2014 as streaming video gets serious" by Jared Newman.

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