Roku was the top connected TV (CTV) platform in the US last year with 84.7 million users, according to our forecast. We estimate that Roku users will make up 32.9% of US internet users and 46.9% of CTV users in 2020.
Roku’s continued strength comes from selling its standalone players and TVs through major holiday events, and we expect it to capture more than half the market by 2022.
The Amazon Fire TV will take the No. 2 spot this year, edging out gaming consoles, which are also popular CTV devices. We estimate that there are 71.2 million Amazon Fire TV users in the US, which represents about one-quarter of US internet users. The platform will maintain its steady growth as Amazon continues to sell its devices through website promotions.
Our estimates for Roku and Amazon Fire TV users in 2020 were finalized on February 6 before the coronavirus pandemic forced Americans to stay at home and at that time, survey data showed that Roku had more individual users in the US than Amazon Fire TV. Our forecast is focused only on the US market and our definition of CTVs also includes smart TVs. The next update to this forecast will be published in August.
“Roku has been the brand most synonymous with CTV because it was the first CTV-focused device in the market," said Insider Intelligence junior forecasting analyst Nazmul Islam. "It has held onto the top spot in the face of competition through continued innovation. As Roku invests more in its devices and software, it's likely to maintain a strong lead.”