The internet-of-things (IoT) is quickly infiltrating the homes of ordinary people around the world. From bluetooth connected lights and smart thermostats, to umbrellas that light up when it’s supposed to rain, internet-connected devices are becoming increasingly popular. This isn’t just true for IoT devices, the same spike in popularity is happening with internet-connected media players. The latest Connected Home Forecast Report from NPD Connected Intelligence predicts that 43% of US homes will have at least one streaming media player by the end of 2019.
Before we get into the details of the NPD report, it’s important to explain what exactly the report is and how the data was gathered. The Connected Home Forecast Report is designed to “…project a consumer’s propensity to own and connect devices that deliver broadband content to the TV,” says NPD Connected Intelligence’s report synopsis. The NPD bases its data and forecast on panel-based reporting from a quarterly sample of over 5,000 individual U.S. consumers.
NPD Connected Intelligence expects there to be approximately 238 million installed internet-connected television devices within the next four years (a 59% growth from the current number of devices). While we will continue to see innovation resulting in new types of connected products, the NPD expects internet-connected TVs to drive 45% of that growth over the next four years. The noticeably less expensive streaming media devices are predicted to drive 39% of that same growth.
There are a number of factors driving this rapid growth including: new products, an increase in quality programming and improved user-interfaces. As more products continue to come to the market consumers will no longer be forced to view their content on whichever internet-connected device they happen to have. John Buffone, executive director at NPD Connected Intelligence was quoted in a recent press release saying:
“With an ever-increasing number of connectable devices expected to be connected to the Internet, viewers will have the ability to choose their preferred option instead of using the only device they have attached to their TV.”
While this report is merely a prediction, it will certainly be interesting to see how close NPD Connected Intelligence came to the real growth numbers as time moves on. Whether you prefer an Apple TV, Roku, Fire Stick, Chromecast, or even a device that hasn’t been invented yet, one thing is for sure–consumers will have more options than ever before.
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