Plenty of first-time connected TV device buyers still out there

The proliferation of streaming services, connected TV devices and smart TVs apparently doesn’t mean that everyone has bought in just yet.

According to new research from Interpret, half of consumers who plan to purchase a smart TV or a streaming media player within the next three months will be first-time buyers. On the other side of that group are existing owners who are replacing their streaming device, upgrading to a newer version or getting a device from a different manufacturer.

The research firm’s new data suggests that 10% of consumers plan to buy a smart TV and a similar number plan to buy a streaming media player within the next quarter. But Samsung and Vizio owners are the least likely to replace their smart TV, while Roku owners are the least likely to want to replace their streaming media players.

RELATED: SVOD churn hit 20% in back half of 2020: Interpret

“With half of buyers being new to smart TVs and streaming media players, this sector of consumer electronics is primed for continued growth,” said Brett Sappington, vice president of research at Interpret, in a statement. “However, not all streaming device brands will enjoy the full benefit of that growth. Our research shows that each brand attracts a unique consumer audience, with differing characteristics, habits, and preferences that are often related to key features. Those brands that best meet consumers’ needs stand the best chance of gaining market share.”

A new wave of connected TV device buyers is potentially coming not long after a massive amount of sales for the overall category in 2020, which has now reached 1.28 billion total devices worldwide, according to Strategy Analytics.

The research firm said there are now 162.3 million Samsung Tizen devices installed worldwide, accounting for 12.7% of the global connected TV device installed base. The firm said Samsung was followed by LG’s webOS with 7.3%, Amazon Fire OS with 6.4%, Roku TV OS with 6.4% and Android TV with 5.9%.