Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Roku OS Missing Features Explained: Discovery and Developer Limits

Roku's market position has a way of making the platform look more capable than it is. Across U.S. broadband households, Roku OS accounts for 28% of connected TV platform usage, ahead of Samsung Tizen at 23%, with Amazon Fire TV, LG webOS, and Vizio SmartCast trailing at a distance, according to Parks Associates research.    

Parks Associates Director Michael Goodman puts the stakes plainly: operating systems determine what content consumers see, how services are positioned, and how advertising is delivered. With AI-driven search and  personalization becoming the new competitive standard for TV operating systems, the firm argues that platform control will only matter more in the years ahead. This is the context in which Roku's specific shortcomings land.           

What they may not yet prove is that Roku has closed the gap on the deeper AI-driven discovery layer Parks Associates identifies as the next competitive frontier. The firm argues that AI-driven personalization, the kind that doesn't just catalog content but anticipates it, is where platform competition is heading. Roku's What to Watch feature aggregates titles across services, which is useful.

Roku's 28% share is stable and its value proposition is real. According to Parks Associates, the platform earns its position for a wide range of users, particularly those who primarily want free content, simple setup, and a reliable experience without active management. Nothing in this analysis changes that.

Parks Associates projects that AI-driven personalization will become the standard competitive axis for TV operating systems in the coming years, with platform ecosystems growing more consequential as that shift plays out.

From the Cord-Cutters.gadgethacks article, "Roku vs other smart TV platforms: default choice versus deliberate choice

Previously In The News

Parks: 86m streaming device sales by 2019

“The number of connected CE categories and devices continues to expand as companies look to disrupt the market,” said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. “The key priorities for our research...

King of streams: Roku beats Amazon, Google, and Apple combined

More consumers are using a Roku as their household streaming box than any other non-gaming device. In fact, the underdog streaming brand is used more commonly than Apple, Google, and Amazon combined,...

In Europe, less than 10% familiar with smart products

Less than 10% of Western European broadband households are familiar with smart products, according to Parks Associates. New Parks Associates research shows low consumer familiarity with smart home...

In Europe, 57% own at least one connected CE device

Approximately 9% of Western European broadband households own at least one smart home device and 57% own at least one internet-connected CE device, according to Parks Associates. Parks Associates a...