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The streaming media device sector is an interesting one as the most used devices aren’t even designed specifically for streaming. The most commonly deployed streaming devices are multifunctional products such as smartphones, PCs and tablets, followed by dedicated products like smart TVs, Roku and Amazon Fire. The highest usage is among Generation Z and Millennials, with Generation X closer to that end of the spectrum compared with Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.
In this blog post, we present the findings from a survey conducted by 451 Research from S&P Global Horizons, which asked US consumers about their streaming device usage and planned buying.
Key takeaways from the survey
Convenience, cost and format factor into streaming video device choices. While 82% of respondents deploy at least one type of device to stream online video content, three of the top five are multifunctional devices: smartphones (43%), laptops/desktops (30%) and tablets (22%). These devices are ubiquitous — almost everyone has one — as well as cost effective because consumers don’t need to buy a dedicated device. Modern video content is available across multiple sources and pairs nicely with how these devices function. Sprinkled in between are smart TVs (33%) and Roku Players/Sticks (22%), with the Amazon Fire TV/Stick (16%) and video game consoles (12%) — another multifunction device — also standing out as popular options.
Age plays a role in device preference. Smartphones are the top overall streaming device among three of the five generational age brackets, with Gen Z (60%) and Millennials (59%) using them the most. These two cohorts are also the top users of laptops/desktops (Gen Z 36%; Millennials 37%), tablets (Gen Z 30%; Millennials 29%), video game consoles (Gen Z 38%; Millennials 27%) and Apple TV (Gen Z 17%; Millennials 16%). Gen X (36%) and Baby Boomers (34%) employ smart TVs the most, while Gen X (24%) joins Gen Z (28%) and Millennials (24%) as the top users of Roku devices. The Amazon Fire TV/Stick is most used by Gen Z (18%) and Gen X (19%).
Apple stands tall in satisfaction. Looking specifically at dedicated streaming devices, multiple Apple TV models hold high satisfaction ratings. Apple TV 4K (seventh generation; 84%) has the most owners saying they are very satisfied with their devices, followed by Apple TV 4K (sixth generation; 78%). Roku streaming sticks (73%) are the top non-Apple device, but they are followed closely by Apple TV (fourth generation; 72%). Beyond that, the next tier of devices is clustered together: Apple TV 4K (fifth generation; 70%); Amazon Fire TV Stick (69%), Amazon Fire TV (68%) and Roku streaming player (67%). Perpetually bringing up the rear is Chromecast (62%).
Consumers use their streaming devices daily. When asked how often they use their streaming devices, the largest portion of consumers said at least once daily (59%), followed by a few times per week (23%). Consumers are engaged with multiple sources of streaming media across paid services, free services and social media that fulfill a variety of content lengths — from micro-length social media reels to full-length movies. Interestingly, Millennials (88%) are the most frequent users of their dedicated streaming video devices, followed by Gen Z (83%) and Gen X (83%), while Baby Boomers (79%) and the Silent Generation (71%) trail a bit behind.
Streaming device purchasing environment shows some signs of life. Consumers’ planned buying of streaming media devices appears a bit brighter, with 21% of respondents now saying they plan to buy a new device over the next 12 months. Demand is most pronounced among Gen Z (38%) and Millennials (37%), with Gen X (26%) still buying, although they are in less of a rush to upgrade their current devices. While some portion of this demand is going toward refreshes of multifunction devices like smartphones and PCs/tablets, dedicated devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV/Stick, smart TVs and Roku also account for a large portion of consumers’ plans.
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