NEW YORK—After topping 1 billion for the first time in 2021, a new S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis is predicting that total connected video devices in the U.S. will top 1.1 billion by 2026 and that the number of smart TVs will grow from 208.5 million in 2022 to 224.8 million in 2023 and 274.2 million by 2026.
The data highlights just how much U.S. consumers have embraced the streaming revolution, with the U.S. installed base for internet-connected video devices on course to rise at a 2.3% compound annual growth rate from 2021 through 2026, according to a new S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis released ahead of the holiday shopping season.
But the forecast anticipates a relatively stable 8.5 devices per broadband household throughout the forecast, indicating that homes have reached a saturation point for streaming video devices, the researcher noted.
The report also predicts that the installed base for streaming media players will decline from 37.6 million in 2022 to 24.3 million but that streaming media sticks installed in U.S. homes will increase from 78.4 million in 2022 to 103.2 million in 2026.
Other key highlights include:
- Of the devices in the analysis, smart TVs have the highest growth potential as vendors and end users recognize the increasingly central role streaming apps play in the way people consume content.
- Subscription services have served the streaming video segment well so far, but the wide device universe outlined in this report indicates there is a path to further monetization through ad-supported models.
