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Research firm Parks Associates estimates that Google's Chromecast claimed 20% of the U.S. streaming device market in the first three quarters of 2014. That put it in second place behind Roku, which controlled 29% of the market, but ahead of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) TV and Amazon's Fire TV, which respectively claimed 17% and 10%. But by the end of the fourth quarter, NPD Group reported that Chromecast overtook Roku and claimed the top spot in the U.S.

Prior to the launch of the C ...read more

This method of distribution will force Apple to compete on price or risk its customers subscribing to HBO Now some other way. Given that it doesn't offer broadband, that's a fight Apple probably can't win.

But it doesn't really matter. For Apple, the deal with HBO is more about selling hardware than collecting service revenue.

Apple's set-top box, the Apple TV, faces an increasingly crowded market. Devices from competitors, including both Google and Amazon, have pressure ...read more

According to an article published on Apple Insider, citing data from research firm Parks Associates, Apple saw its share in the streaming media device market drop from 26% to just 17% in 2014. Although the report cites lower-cost "stick" alternatives from Roku, Amazon, and Google as reasons why Apple has lost share, I suspect that selling a much less functional device at a $99 price point was also a problem.

The price drop on the current models from $99 to $69 should help on ...read more

Apple has sold more than 25 million Apple TVs over the years, putting it ahead on a global scale. But in the U.S., its market share has slid as new competitors have emerged. According to a report from Parks Associates, the Apple TV fell to third place last year, behind the Roku and Google's Chromecast.

It wouldn't be surprising if the Apple TV soon fell to fourth place: Parks Associates' report covered only the first three quarters of the year, leaving Amazon's Fire TV Stick ...read more

If Apple's streaming TV service takes off, it will boost the company's "services" revenue, which comes from iTunes, App Store, Apple Pay, and other services. Last quarter, the segment's revenue rose 9% year over year and accounted for 6.4% of Apple's top line. It will also boost sales of Apple TVs, which held a 17% share of streaming devices in U.S. households last year, according to Parks Associates.

From the article "Will Apple Inc.'s Streaming TV Efforts Move Ahead Withou ...read more

The problem with that plan is that Apple TVs are nowhere near as popular as iPhones and iPads. Apple recently announced that it had sold 25 million Apple TVs since 2007, up from 20 million last April.

By comparison, Apple sold 74.5 million iPhones and 21.4 million iPads last quarter. Apple TV only controlled 17% of the U.S. streaming device market in 2014, trailing in third place behind Roku and Chromecast, according to Parks Associates. That combination of slow sales and me ...read more

Apple recently lowered the price of the Apple TV from $99 to $69. That was a clear response to cheap streaming devices like the Roku 1, Chromecast, and Fire TV Stick, which all cost between $30 to $50.

According to research firm Parks Associates, Roku devices accounted for 29% of U.S. streaming device sales in 2014, followed by 20% for Chromecast and 17% for Apple TV. However, Roku and Apple TV's market shares both declined year over year after Amazon and Google entered the ...read more

One of the side effects of the increasing importance of over-the-top services has been a decline in real-time (linear) viewing. According to Parks Associates, Americans now spend about half their television time watching non-linear programming, and among 18 to 34 year olds, it's the majority.

While it's an undeniable trend, and one Lynch expects to continue, he still believes there's a place for traditional broadcasts.

"Linear will still be relevant ... [primarily for] e ...read more