When it comes to streaming set-top boxes, Apple TV might be the one that gets the most mention, but it’s Roku that is leading the market by a rather large margin. All-in-all, the streaming set-top boxes are becoming all the more popular all the time and that’s good news for any company already in the market.
It is also the news that more companies getting into the market all the time. Google (News - Alert) launched its own version of a set-top box last year and Amazon brought its Fire TV to the masses earlier in 2014. Despite the growing number of competitors, Roku has managed to hold off challengers at least for now. During the first three quarters of this year, 10 percent of households that have a broadband connection bought at least one set-top box.
Roku’s lineup of set-top boxes and streaming sticks is also growing all the time. This is one of the reasons the company is seeing so much success recently. Despite a dip in sales in 2014, Roku still had 29 percent of the total market. Google’s Chromecast Stick managed to make a strong statement in its first full year on the market, jumping into second place with 20 percent.
Apple (News - Alert) TV actually suffered a bit of a fall this year, falling into third place with 17 percent of the market. Amazon’s Fire TV was able to make some headway of its own, but finished well behind Roku in fourth place with just 10 percent. Set-top boxes and streaming sticks have been increasing in volume since Apple TV first made the scene in 2007. One of the reasons the original has lost its standing is because Apple hasn’t refreshed the line in two years. Roku, on the other hand has worked hard to refresh its brand and keep it fresh in consumer’s minds.