Google’s Chromecast takes 35% of global media streamer market

Google’s Chromecast

Google’s Chromecast continued to lead the standalone media streamer market last year, accounting for 35% of the 42 million unit sales, according to Strategy Analytics.

The research firm said that Amazon, Apple, Google and Roku strengthening their combined grip on the fast growing category, accounting for 8 out of every 10 digital media streamer shipments worldwide in 2015.

Cumulatively, Apple leads the way having shipped close to 37 million Apple TV units since its launch in 2007. However, Google’s Chromecast is “catching up fast” with 27 million units shipped in just two and a half years, according to the research.

Global shipments of all Connected TV Devices – including smart TVs, Blu-ray players, games consoles and digital media streamers, totalled 220 million units in 2015 following record shipments of 84 million in the fourth quarter, said Strategy Analytics.

“Ownership of connected TV devices is not restricted to one device over another. Our research shows that US broadband homes own an average of 2.3 such devices giving them multiple means by which to stream video and audio content to the TV. While some consumers will have a favoured method, we find that most households are switching between different devices depending on the user and type of content being consumed,” said Chirag Upadhyay, senior research analyst at Strategy Analytics’ connected home devices service.