Roku Hits Huge Milestone As One Of The Most Popular Streaming Boxes In America
Roku entered the streaming device world with a bang, and has proven itself as a serious competitor by showing it has staying power in the streaming industry.
According to CNET, Roku sold 10 million streaming devices over its lifetime. Last January, Roku reported it sold 8 million streaming devices.
In comparison, Apple has sold 20 million Apple TV devices as of last April. It might not be fair to compare the two brands’ sales figures because Apple sells its devices globally, whereas Roku sells its devices mainly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, according to CNET.
Other devices have joined in the mix, including Chromecast from Google and Fire TV from Amazon. It seems as though more people want to access internet streaming videos and music on their TVs, and easier access to Netflix and live sporting events adds to the attraction of owning one of the top streaming devices.
In the beginning, Roku was the first company that gave users the ability to stream Netflix on their TVs, according to Travelers Today. Roku continues to develop its devices to remain competitive, and with its latest gadget, a flash drive-like Streaming Stick, it is comparable to the Chromecast dongle. Continuously updating its brand is helping the six-year-old company to reach unheard of milestones in such little time.
Even though sales of the Apple TV may be more than the sales of Roku, Roku boasts that more people use their device for longer periods of time than on similar streaming devices. According to Newsmax, Roku CEO Anthony Wood says that research done by NPD Group shows “Roku users more than doubled the number of hours streamed by Apple TV.”
Roku claims 37 million hours of streaming video per week. Apple TV compares with 15 million hours per week, Chromcast is responsible for 12 million hours per week, and Amazon Fire comes in with 6 million hours per week.
The streaming industry is looking for new way to blend paid TV services with streaming content. Roku already provides a type of service; cable customers are able to enter their account information to access certain cable channels or clips on some of Roku’s channels.
According to Newsmax, some reports suggest Apple is considering teaming up with cable providers and other content owners to mix paid TV with its streaming capabilities.
Roku has about 1,800 streaming channels, which is much more than what its rivals currently offer. It appears that Roku has much to celebrate as it has met a huge milestone and begins to prepare for new milestones.
