Amazon Fire top selling US streaming device

Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick are now the biggest selling devices in the US digital media streamer market, despite only launching last year, according to Strategy Analytics.

The research firm claimed that in the first quarter of the year, Amazon was the market leader accounting for 30% of media device shipments, ahead of Roku in second place, Google in third and Apple ranked fourth.

However, cumulatively, Apple leads the US market, having shipped in excess of 15 million Apple TV units since its launch in 2007, followed by Roku at nearly 13.5 million units. More than 8.5 million Chromecast streaming dongles have shipped and close to 4.5 million Amazon Fire TVs, said Strategy Analytics.

In Q1 a total of 3.5 million digital media streaming units were shipped in the US – more than the shipment figure for smart TVs, IP-connectable games consoles or smart Blu-ray players, according to the research.

A total of 35.7 million digital media streamers are now estimated to be installed in US homes, with approximately 32% of US broadband homes said to own at least one such device.

“Amazon has rapidly established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the living room as it embarks on its mission of bringing its content and retail services to all screens including mobile, PC and TV,” said David Watkins, Strategy Analytics service director, Connected Home Devices.

“Apple has slipped behind its rivals having not made a substantial update to its Apple TV hardware for the better part of three years and we suspect that the short-term exclusive deal to include HBO Now and reduced price of the box will not be enough to pull it back up the rankings in the immediate future.”