Amazon Takes Lead as Connected TV Device Sales Reach New Peak

Global sales of connected TV devices soared to a new record in 4Q20, reaching 109.1 million units, according to Strategy Analytics. Amazon became market leader for the first time with sales of 13.2 million devices and a market share of 12.1%. Samsung slipped into second place while Sony remained third after the launch of its new PS5 games console.

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 (186M) and media streamers (81M) 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.

“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,“ said David Watkins, director of TV Streaming Platforms at Strategy Analytics.

“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,“ added senior analyst Edouard Bouffenie.