This week something happened that many thought never would. The Apple TV app is going to be available on streaming players not made by Apple. Apple announced that the Apple TV app would be coming to the Roku and Fire TV streaming players and smart TVs.
Roku’s CEO Anthony Wood sat down with CNBC to talk about why Apple made the move to open up their Apple TV app.
“Obviously, they’re counting on jump-starting [the streaming service] with all of their iPhone and iPad and Mac customers,” Wood said on CNBC’s Squawk Alley. “But actually, smart TVs are the way that most streaming services, long-form streaming services are viewed by customers. That’s where they spend most of their hours. And so for any kind of service like that to be successful you want to be on the leading streaming TV platforms.”
It is also important to note that Apple is lagging far behind Roku, Fire TV, and smart TVs. According to a recent survey of over 3,000 cord cutters, Roku once again dominated with over 69.6% of American readers using a Roku streaming player. That is more than double the combined number of cord cutters who said they use a Fire TV (36.6%) and the Apple TV (28.4%).
If Apple wants its new streaming service to be as big as it could be Apple needs to reach the other 71.6% of Americans who do not own an Apple TV.
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