New Parks Associates research finds that 14% of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a streaming media player by midyear 2016 and that, as of the third quarter of 2015, 31% of U.S. broadband households currently own a streaming media player, up from 27% at the beginning of the year.
“Streaming media players will be a popular gift this holiday season, especially with more competitive pricing in the market and the expansion of new OTT services” said Barbara Kraus, Director of Research, Parks Associates. “With the popularity of the category, it has now divided into two tiers – basic and premium models. Consumers who want basic content streaming will gravitate to streaming media sticks such as the Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV due to their lower costs, which also make them good gift options. Cube-shaped players, like the Roku 4, NVIDIA SHIELD, and the latest generation of the Apple TV, are premium players, with more features, such as 4K streaming and more internal storage, but still with a much lower price tag than a new smart TV or connected gaming console.”
The Parks Associates industry report The Streaming Media Device Landscape addresses future strategies for the major streaming media player form factors, cube-shaped boxes and sticks, as well as the growth of the market, the impact of new entrants, and five-year unit sales forecasts. The Parks Associates quarterly survey American Broadband Households and their Technologies shows that purchase intentions for streaming media devices have stayed consistent for the past two years, with a predictable uptick around the holiday season.
“In 2016, streaming media players will differentiate their models and brands through additional features, such as content options or new technologies like 4K,” Kraus said. “Ultimately consumers want a simple, uninterrupted experience in accessing OTT content, so that will be the minimum expectation for any device, regardless of the cost.”
Previous research from Parks Associates shows that two-thirds of U.S. broadband households connect at least one device to the Internet. Among these households, a Microsoft Xbox is the most commonly used CE device for streaming at more than 14%, followed closely by Sony PlayStation at just less than 14%. Roku is third at 10%, surpassing brands such as the Nintendo Wii, Samsung, and Google in consumer usage when accessing online video content.
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To schedule an interview with Barbara Kraus or to request specific data, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com, 720.987.6614.
About Parks Associates
Parks Associates is a global research, consulting, and marketing firm with 40 years of experience delivering proprietary consumer data and industry insights for businesses. The firm produces market research reports, forecasts, surveys, and competitive business intelligence on connected consumer, small business, and commercial technologies and related business solutions. Parks Associates provides custom research, strategic consulting, and forward-looking analysis across connected home, small business, and commercial markets, including security, smart home, broadband, entertainment, energy, multifamily, smart buildings, connected health, and emerging AI-driven technologies.
Parks Associates supports industry growth through proprietary research, consulting, and executive networking and convenes thousands of leaders each year through its flagship conferences, including CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. Learn more at https://www.parksassociates.com.
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