As cord cutting is growing so is demand to be the set-top box of choice among cord cutters. Historically Roku has dominated by a wide margin, but now we are seeing both the Fire TV and the Apple TV gain market share.
Recently we surveyed more than 1,000 of our readers on a range of cord cutting topics. According to our readers, almost 70% own a Roku. Forty percent said they own a Fire TV, and 25% said they own an Apple TV.
However, this is a noticeable change from our summer 2016 survey that showed Roku with over 70% of the market share, the Fire TV at just over 33%, and the Apple TV at just 18%. (Note: We did allow our readers to list multiple devices. So if a reader has both an Apple TV and a Roku it showed up in our survey results.)
These results are in line with a 2016 Parks Associates study showing Roku was the most popular device followed by Amazon at 22% and the Apple TV at 20%; however, that study looked at all device owners not just cord cutters.
So the question now is why is Roku so popular among cord cutters. Price has to be a big part of it because Roku offers a range of price points starting at $29.99 and going up to $129.99. The large selection of apps has to be something also to consider. Roku is also the only major set-top box to offer support for older non-HD TVs.
Ease of use may be something to also consider. Although Roku’s user interface is not the most beautiful it is something that is so simple that my 4-year-old daughter and my parents can use it.
No matter what the reason, it is clear that if you want to reach cord cutters your service must be on the Roku platform or you are missing out on a large number of cord cutters.
So what streaming device is your favorite? Leave us a comment bellow and let us know what your favorite streaming device.
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