Skip to main content

Strategy Analytics: Apple TV now leads set-top boxes

appletv_highres_original
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Market research firm Strategy Analytics has issued a new report that claims Apple has captured yet another market: TV set-top boxes. Strategy Analytics expects the market for TV set-top boxes to reach 12 million units this year, with Apple accounting for nearly one third of the market, or about 4 million units. The report also finds that Apple TV owners spend more money on movies and TV shows—although the numbers are surprisingly low for a device that was essentially envisioned as a gateway to Apple’s iTunes store.

Recommended Videos

“Apple is leading this nascent market, which it still considers a ‘hobby,'” said Strategy Analytics senior analyst Jia Wu, in a statement.

Overall, Strategy Analytics finds that some eight percent of U.S. households have a TV set-top box that brings in streaming or Internet-based content—that number is slightly higher than in Europe, where the figure was seven percent. Strategy Analytics attributes quickly adoption of the devices to lower price points set by the Apple TV and Roku—the second-generation Apple TV is $99, while Roku boxes start at just $49.99.

The report finds that 30 percent of Apple TV owners rented movies or TV shows through the device, compared to just 20 percent of users of other set-top box and streaming devices. The figure is surprising, given that the Apple TV was primarily envisioned as a way for users to tap into content from the iTunes store from a television rather than from a computer or other device. The percentages suggest the most popular feature of the Apple TV is not its access to the iTunes store, but rather its Netflix client and the ability to bring in content from around the home network via AirPlay.

Apple has famously described the Apple TV as a “hobby,” and despite an exciting second-generation refresh a year ago that brought the unit’s price down to $99, has largely consigned the product to long periods of neglect as Apple focuses on other businesses. However, the apparent success of the Apple TV may bode well for the much-rumored Apple TV, fueled by Steve Jobs telling biographer Walter Isaacson that he had finally “cracked” the problem of providing a fully integrated television experience.

Geoff Duncan
Former Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
A native Android Apple TV app is now in the Google Play store
The Apple TV app on a Samsung Android phone.

It's been five years since the Apple TV app was launched, and we're now getting a version for Android devices -- built from the ground up for native Android integration -- in the Google Play store that will have the same Apple TV+ functionality as the Apple ecosystem version. The new app means users with Android OS 10 or later will finally have the ability to sign up for Apple TV+ on their Android-based phones and tablets to watch shows and movies like Severance, Silo, Killers of the Flower Moon, and CODA. There will be no difference in pricing on Android compared to Apple.

This should enable seamless interactivity across platforms for features such as Continue Watching -- which keeps track of where you are in a show or movie and allows you to pick up from that spot when you return, regardless of the device you watch on. Customer's Watchlist will be kept up to date across devices as well, and since purchases are linked to your Apple account, all the content you own will be accessible on any device with the new updated app. One thing missing at launch, though, will be the ability to cast Apple TV content from your Android device.

Read more
Apple TV 4K vs. Google TV Streamer: Which streaming device is superior?
An Apple remote sits on top of an Apple TV 4k.

Choosing one of the best streaming devices for your home is more complicated than ever, thanks to the breadth of options available today. While you can access the most popular streaming services through each individual app, these streaming set-top boxes deliver a home entertainment hub that lets you watch everything from one place, along with checking out connected home functionality, different apps, and even games. There are plenty of different options worth checking out, but today we're comparing two of our favorites, Apple TV 4K and Google TV Streamer.

Both of these streaming devices feature an intuitive user experience, that's streamlined and designed to get you watching within minutes. However, that doesn't make it easier to choose between them. Apple TV delivers access to a variety of apps, games, a free three-month subscription to Apple TV+, connects to Apple Smart Home devices, and you can even connect your AirPods for private jam sessions.

Read more
Best streaming devices for 2025: Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and more
The Apple TV 4K (2022) and Siri remote on a table.

You pay good money for all the streaming services you subscribe to (or maybe your budget and preferences attract you to the many free ad-supported services out there). Either way, you deserve to get the best viewing experience you can, and if the operating system built in to your smart TV isn't cutting it for you, you may be among the millions of users who opt for the external plug-and-play solution of one of the best streaming devices.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with smart TV OSes, especially since Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV power so many smart TVs, with LG and Samsung picking up the slack with their own operating systems.

Read more