Amazon overtakes Samsung to reach connected TV top spot

Global sales of connected TV devices soared to a new record in Q4 2020, reaching 109.1 million units, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics’ TV Streaming Platforms service.

According to the report, Amazon became market leader for the first time with sales of 13.2 million devices and a market share of 12.1%, overtaking Samsung, which slipped into second place while Sony remained third after the launch of its new PS5 games console.

This comes as connected TV was revealed to be the fastest-growing YouTube platform.

Overall in 2020 sales of connected TV devices (smart TVs, streamers, games consoles) reached 305.3 million units, an annual increase of 7.6%, as locked down residents sought comfort in big screen entertainment. Strategy Analytics predicts further growth in 2021 as TV viewers continue to migrate towards internet-based video platforms and away from traditional broadcast and pay TV services.

2020 sales of both smart TVs (186 million) and media streamers (81 million) reached new records. TCL performed particularly well in smart TVs in 2020, moving into second place behind Samsung and ahead of LG. In streamers, Amazon and Roku extended their lead over both Google and Apple and together now account for more than 60% of the streamer market.

David Watkins, director, TV streaming platforms, at Strategy Analytics, commented: “Q4 is always a strong period for home entertainment products, and in spite of the pandemic, 2020 didn’t disappoint. Demand for connected TV devices remained strong throughout the holiday period as consumers in most major economies preferred to enjoy streaming video services on their big screens.”

Added senior analyst Edouard Bouffenie: “Amazon has had great success with its Fire TV Stick 4K, which became the world’s best-selling digital media streamer device in 2020. However, the market remains fragmented overall and there is still a long way to go in the battle to build global-scale TV streaming platforms during the 2020s.”  Rapid TV News