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Apple TV doubles share of premium video viewing in just one quarter, overtaking Roku

Apple TV doubled its share of premium viewing in just three months, from 5% in Q4 2014 to 10% in Q1 2015, according to data from the Adobe Digital Index. Roku’s share increased by only 1% in the same time period, from 7% to 8%. Principal analyst Tamara Gaffney told TNW that Apple’s growth was unprecedented.

Apple TV devices doubling their share of premium video viewing quarter over quarter (QoQ) from 5% to 10%–overtaking Roku […] That’s huge. We never see double in quarter-over-quarter in something that’s been around for a couple of years. We expect Apple TV to take off even more.

Why the spike? Apple dropped the price of the Apple TV to $69 and it grows a few new channels every month but the survey didn’t offer any guesses. Adobe also noted that iOS devices account continue to dominate mobile video viewing, representing 82% of non-subscription viewing … 

The study saw a shift in what it terms “TV everywhere” viewing away from desktop PCs to boxes connected to TVs, like Apple TV, Roku and Xbox.

“When it comes to digital video, people are either watching on a portable device or on a high-fidelity screen,” Gaffney said. “It looks like desktops are losing the battle in the home, bringing the TV Everywhere viewing platform full circle and returning viewers to the living room.”

Gaffney said that Apple was in a dominant position due to both its customer base and the wealth of data it holds on viewing habits, and that that “the challenge will be to see if it can monetize the strategy fast enough to get ahead of the movement away from linear TV toward digital viewing.”

Apple TV continues to gain new content, with CBS yesterday announcing a standalone subscription version of its premium network Showtime on Apple TV, the day after NatGeo TV and Nat Geo Wild was added. Apple also confirmed yesterday that the Apple TV will form the HomeKit hub allowing remote control of connected devices from outside the home.

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Comments

  1. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    HBO Now, I. Sure helped some along with the he price cut to $69. Standalone subscriptions like HBO and Snowtime will help keep adding users to Apple TV.

    • Tony L (@tonyl) - 9 years ago

      I agree. HBO Now is very obviously the major factor here.

      I have a Apple Tv and a Roku 3. I find the Roku to be a better experience, overall. I only use the Apple TV for HBO Now (because it is still exclusive to the Apple TV) and for Air Play.

  2. airmanchairman - 9 years ago

    Must be the larger-screened iPhones 6, as the jump coincides with their advent and ensuing “gangbuster” sales, as Tim Cook would say…

  3. Nick Ribecca - 9 years ago

    If it was only able to bring us Local Channels, it would be the END of Cable TV! (may it rest in PEACE) Now, when is Apple going to start delivering quality High Speed Internet? ;-)

  4. Nick Ribecca - 9 years ago

    cuz, Cable Companies (and FIOS) will still have to bring Internet.

    • friarnurgle - 9 years ago

      You can contact your municipality to try and push them to create their own broadband network. Enough people do it and we could see a big change in the industry. Competition is good.

  5. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    Must be why Apple chose to through all its resources at the Apple Watch and let Apple TV go more or less unchanged (spec bump) since 2010. Good call Apple good call.

  6. modeyabsolom - 9 years ago

    This is all good news, but I still really would of liked to see a 4th gen Apple TV introduced at WWDC.

    • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

      You will have to wait 11 more weeks until August 25th when Apple will preview Apple TV and release the sdk at a iPhone Apple TV event. Sure the Apple TV will be released in October along with iPads.

      • SKR Imaging - 9 years ago

        Is it already confirmed that August 25 is Apple TV Keynote?.. have not seen it yet in News sites.

      • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

        It’s been a rumored date since Labor Day falls late this year and iPhone 6 s production is ahead of schedule.

  7. moofer1972 - 9 years ago

    HBO and Game of Theones

  8. macnificentseven48 - 9 years ago

    I mainly prefer the Roku because it runs PLEX and supports USB drives. All my movies are mkv-wrapped and I like that because they can contain their own subtitles and there are free Matroska file modifying tools available. Streaming devices are inexpensive enough to have a few, so it’s not that big a deal. I’ve got enough HDMI ports on my smartTVs so it’s no problem switching to different streaming devices. I’m surprised that Roku is able to compete with Apple considering the wealth Apple has. However, it’s more about content than hardware and Roku is definitely a more liberal company when it comes to allowing content.

  9. joshwa12 - 9 years ago

    3 letters HBO. Since I bought a smart tv my Apple TV was nearly forgotten. Everything changed with HBO now 😂

  10. Robert Dupuy - 9 years ago

    I got an Apple TV thanks to airplay. I mostly watch Netflix on my Wii U. I could do that on Apple TV…..but, I keep losing that little remote.

    One thing I will say about Wii U, is you don’t lose the remote….

    Yes the apple tv lets you use a remote app, which works for a while. But if something goes wrong, like say the apple tv can no longer connect to wi-fi, well then the remote app no longer works either.

    You really are still dependent upon that original remote not getting lost…which in my house, it does.

    oh well…anyway apple tv is nice for air play. It had been too expensive for anything but occasional movie renting, so I can see how some compelling subscription services would boost its market share.

  11. Blake Mitchell - 9 years ago

    I’m guessing that is U.S only share, but Netflix launched in Australia and the Apple TV has complete dominance in these type of devices. The roku isn’t event available here

  12. valanchan - 9 years ago

    Apple always goes for premium.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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