Roku crossed 100 million global streaming households on April 17, 2026, a historic milestone the company announced from its own newsroom (Roku). The device that plugs into the TV has become the front door to how the country watches: streaming reached a record 47.5 percent of all U.S. TV viewing in December 2025 (Nielsen, The Gauge December 2025), pay-TV penetration slipped below half of U.S. households in Q4 2025 (Madison and Wall, 2025), and Amazon reported nearly 300 million Fire TV devices sold globally (Amazon, September 2025). This analysis consolidates data from Roku IR, Nielsen, Pixalate, Amazon, Google, Hub Entertainment Research, eMarketer, Pew Research Center, and 7 other primary sources into 45+ data points on device installed bases, market share, viewing share, cord-cutting, and connected TV advertising. Every figure below is traced to the organization that published it, with divergences flagged.
TL;DR
- Roku surpassed 100 million global streaming households on April 17, 2026 (Roku, 2026).
- Roku grew streaming hours to 145.6 billion in 2025, up 15 percent year over year (Roku, Q4 2025 shareholder letter).
- Amazon reported nearly 300 million Fire TV devices sold globally as of September 30, 2025 (Amazon via TechCrunch, 2025).
- Google TV and Android TV reached 270 million monthly active devices - most recent figure available (Google, late 2024).
- Roku led North American CTV device share of voice at 36 percent in Q1 2026, ahead of Fire TV at 19 percent (Pixalate, Q1 2026).
- Streaming hit a record 47.5 percent of U.S. TV viewing in December 2025 (Nielsen, The Gauge December 2025).
- U.S. pay-TV penetration fell below 50 percent of households in Q4 2025 (Madison and Wall, 2025).
- More than 77 million U.S. households have cut the cord or never subscribed (eMarketer, 2025).
- U.S. connected TV ad spending is projected at roughly $37.95 billion in 2026 (eMarketer, H2 2025 forecast).
- Smart TVs are the primary streaming device in 61 percent of U.S. internet households (Hub Entertainment Research, 2026).
- 83 percent of U.S. adults watch streaming content, versus far fewer on cable or satellite (Pew Research Center, 2025).
1. Device installed bases: billions of screens in play
The scale story is now measured in nine-digit household counts. Roku’s jump past 100 million global streaming households makes it the first pure-play streaming platform at that level, and it did so while its own financials turned a corner - full-year 2025 revenue reached $4.737 billion with net income of $88.4 million, a swing from a $129.4 million loss in 2024 (Roku, Q4 2025 shareholder letter via The Desk). Amazon plays a different game, reporting cumulative devices sold rather than logged-in homes, which inflates the headline but obscures active reach. Google’s 270 million figure is the freshest it has disclosed, and it dates to late 2024, so treat it as a floor.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Roku global streaming households | 100 million+ (April 2026) | Roku, 2026 |
| Roku streaming households, end of 2025 | 90 million+ | Roku, Q4 2025 shareholder letter |
| Roku streaming hours, 2025 | 145.6 billion (+15% YoY) | Roku, Q4 2025 shareholder letter |
| Fire TV devices sold globally | Nearly 300 million (Sept 2025) | Amazon via TechCrunch, 2025 |
| Fire TV devices sold globally | 250 million+ (2024) | Amazon via TV Tech, 2024 |
| Google TV + Android TV monthly active devices | 270 million (most recent available) | Google, late 2024 |
| Apple TV U.S. users (estimate) | ~45.9 million (2025) | Statista estimate, 2025 |
Context: Roku says it drives roughly three times the connected-TV engagement of the next-largest U.S. TV operating system, accounting for about 44 percent of CTV viewing hours versus Fire TV’s 14 percent (Roku via MediaPost, 2026).
2. U.S. and North American streaming device market share
Share of voice in programmatic ad transactions is the most consistently published proxy for device usage, and Pixalate has tracked it quarterly across 2025 and into 2026. Roku’s lead is durable but slowly compressing - from 38 percent U.S. share in Q1 2025 to 36 percent North American share in Q1 2026 - as Fire TV posts the fastest growth. Survey data from Hub Entertainment Research tells a compatible story from the household side: Roku is the single most-used platform, but no one device owns a majority once smart-TV operating systems are counted.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Roku North America CTV share of voice, Q1 2026 | 36% | Pixalate, Q1 2026 |
| Amazon Fire TV North America share, Q1 2026 | 19% (+18% QoQ) | Pixalate, Q1 2026 |
| Samsung Smart TV North America share, Q1 2026 | 15% | Pixalate, Q1 2026 |
| Apple TV North America share, Q1 2026 | 13% | Pixalate, Q1 2026 |
| Roku U.S. share of voice, Q2 2025 | 37% | Pixalate, Q2 2025 |
| Roku most-used platform, U.S. internet households | 28% | Hub Research via StreamTV Insider, 2025 |
| U.S. streamers who use Roku vs Samsung OS | 59% vs 49% | Hub Research, 2025 |
Outlier: Pixalate measures share of programmatic ad supply, not installed devices, so smart-TV brands with heavy ad inventory (Samsung, LG) can rank higher here than in unit-share estimates.
3. Smart TVs versus streaming sticks: the device-type shift
The center of gravity has moved from the dongle to the built-in TV operating system. Smart TVs are now the primary streaming device in 61 percent of U.S. internet households, a share that keeps climbing as cheap Roku- and Fire-powered sets replace older panels (Hub Entertainment Research via NewscastStudio). That does not sideline dedicated players - it reframes them, since the same platforms now ship inside the TV. Households also keep multiple paths to the screen, including game consoles. For a broader look at how connected devices cluster in the home, see our smart home statistics roundup.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Smart TV as primary streaming device, U.S. internet HH | 61% | Hub Research, 2026 |
| U.S. households using a CTV device monthly | ~90% (2025) | eMarketer, 2025 |
| Households owning at least one smart TV, global | 1.2 billion | Statista, 2025 |
| Roku OS share of U.S. TV OS usage | 28% | appleworld.today, 2026 |
| Samsung Tizen share of U.S. TV OS usage | 23% | appleworld.today, 2026 |
| U.S. households owning a console used for TV streaming | ~50% | Nielsen, 2025 |
| Smart TVs sold in North America running Roku OS | 1 in 3 | Roku, 2025 |
Context: On the hardware side, Counterpoint Research reported Samsung led 2025 global TV shipments at roughly 17 percent, with TCL close behind at 16 percent and Hisense at 10 percent - a reminder that TV brand leadership and streaming-OS leadership are different races.
4. Streaming’s share of TV viewing
Nielsen’s The Gauge is the authoritative monthly read on where TV time goes, and 2025-2026 was the period streaming stopped being the challenger. Streaming captured a record 47.5 percent of U.S. TV viewing in December 2025, more than broadcast (21.4 percent) and cable (20.2 percent) put together. The symbolic crossover came in May 2025, when streaming first beat broadcast and cable combined. Linear still fights back around tentpole sports - streaming dipped to 41.9 percent in February 2026 as the Super Bowl and Olympics pulled audiences to traditional feeds. For the platform-level view of who wins those hours, see our video streaming statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming share of U.S. TV viewing, Dec 2025 | 47.5% (record) | Nielsen, The Gauge Dec 2025 |
| Broadcast share, Dec 2025 | 21.4% | Nielsen, The Gauge Dec 2025 |
| Cable share, Dec 2025 | 20.2% | Nielsen, The Gauge Dec 2025 |
| Streaming share, May 2025 (first time above broadcast+cable) | 44.8% vs 44.2% | Nielsen, The Gauge May 2025 |
| Streaming share, Jan 2026 | 47.0% | Nielsen, The Gauge Jan 2026 |
| Netflix share of total TV, Dec 2025 | 9.0% | Nielsen, The Gauge Dec 2025 |
Context: YouTube reached 12.5 percent of total TV viewing in May 2025, the highest share for any single streamer to date (Nielsen); on Christmas Day 2025, streaming hit 54 percent of daily TV usage. Our YouTube statistics breakdown covers its living-room surge in detail.
5. Cord-cutting and the erosion of pay TV
The device boom and the pay-TV bust are two sides of one ledger. U.S. pay-TV penetration fell below 50 percent of households during Q4 2025 for the first time, leaving roughly 66.7 million subscribing homes out of about 113 million (Madison and Wall via The Desk). Non-pay-TV households now outnumber cable subscribers, and the gap widens every quarter as the largest operators shed customers. Price is the throughline: the overwhelming majority of cord-cutters cite cable cost as the trigger.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. pay-TV penetration, Q4 2025 | Below 50% of households | Madison and Wall via The Desk, 2025 |
| U.S. pay-TV subscribing households, Q4 2025 | ~66.7 million of ~113 million | eMarketer via adwave, 2025 |
| U.S. cord-cutter and cord-never households | 77 million+ | eMarketer via adwave, 2025 |
| Projected cord-cutter/never households, end of 2026 | 80.7 million | eMarketer, 2026 forecast |
| Comcast pay-TV subscribers lost, full-year 2025 | 1.15 million | Comcast via The Desk, 2025 |
| Cord-cutters citing high cable prices as a reason | 86.7% | Cord-cutter survey via adwave, 2025 |
Context: Pew Research Center found 83 percent of U.S. adults watch streaming content, far more than subscribe to cable or satellite (Pew Research Center, 2025).
6. Connected TV advertising and market value
Advertising is where device scale converts to dollars, and the money is chasing the audience with a lag. U.S. connected TV ad spending is projected at roughly $37.95 billion in 2026, growing about 14 percent year over year (eMarketer, US TV and CTV Ad Spending Forecasts H2 2025). The structural tell: viewers moved to CTV faster than budgets did, so CTV took 20.2 percent of media time but only 7.7 percent of ad spend in 2025 - the gap advertisers are now racing to close. For the wider ad-market context, see our digital advertising statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. CTV ad spending, 2026 (projected) | ~$37.95 billion (+~14% YoY) | eMarketer, H2 2025 forecast |
| U.S. CTV display ad spend, 2025 | $33.35 billion (98.4% video) | eMarketer, 2025 |
| CTV share of media time vs ad spend, 2025 | 20.2% vs 7.7% | eMarketer, 2025 |
| Linear TV budget reallocated to CTV, 2025 | 36% (average marketer) | IAB, 2025 |
| U.S. CTV ad spending, 2029 (projected) | $52.53 billion+ | Statista, 2025 |
| Global streaming devices market size | $18.98B (2025), $21.46B (2026) | Fortune Business Insights, 2025 |
Outlier: Market-sizing estimates for streaming devices diverge wildly by definition - published 2026 figures range from about $18 billion to over $200 billion depending on whether the scope is dedicated players only or all connected-TV hardware. Treat any single market-size number with caution and prefer the device-count and viewing metrics above.
7. Who streams: adoption and demographics
Streaming is no longer a young-person habit - it is close to universal below age 65 and a majority above it. Streaming adoption peaks at 92 percent among U.S. adults aged 30 to 49, the highest of any age band, per Pew Research Center. The under-50 cohorts are effectively saturated, so future device growth increasingly depends on older adults and on households adding a second or third connected screen.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults who watch streaming content | 83% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| Streaming adoption, adults 18-29 | 88% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| Streaming adoption, adults 30-49 | 92% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| Streaming adoption, adults 50-64 | 83% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| Streaming adoption, adults 65+ | 65% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| U.S. connected TV viewers, 2025 | 250 million+ | eMarketer, 2025 |
Context: A June 2025 study found smart and connected TVs are the primary media-and-entertainment device across every age group, not just younger viewers (Statista, 2025).
Summary: Streaming Devices by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Roku global streaming households | 100 million+ (April 2026) | Roku, 2026 |
| Roku streaming hours, 2025 | 145.6 billion (+15% YoY) | Roku, Q4 2025 |
| Roku full-year 2025 revenue | $4.737 billion (+15% YoY) | Roku, Q4 2025 |
| Fire TV devices sold globally | Nearly 300 million (Sept 2025) | Amazon via TechCrunch, 2025 |
| Google TV + Android TV monthly active devices | 270 million (late 2024) | Google, 2024 |
| Roku North America CTV share of voice, Q1 2026 | 36% | Pixalate, Q1 2026 |
| Amazon Fire TV North America share, Q1 2026 | 19% | Pixalate, Q1 2026 |
| Roku most-used platform, U.S. internet HH | 28% | Hub Research, 2025 |
| Smart TV as primary streaming device, U.S. | 61% | Hub Research, 2026 |
| U.S. households owning a streaming console | ~50% | Nielsen, 2025 |
| Streaming share of U.S. TV viewing, Dec 2025 | 47.5% (record) | Nielsen, Dec 2025 |
| Streaming first beats broadcast+cable, May 2025 | 44.8% vs 44.2% | Nielsen, May 2025 |
| U.S. pay-TV penetration, Q4 2025 | Below 50% of households | Madison and Wall, 2025 |
| U.S. cord-cutter and cord-never households | 77 million+ | eMarketer, 2025 |
| U.S. CTV ad spending, 2026 (projected) | ~$37.95 billion | eMarketer, 2025 |
| CTV share of media time vs ad spend, 2025 | 20.2% vs 7.7% | eMarketer, 2025 |
| Global streaming devices market, 2026 | $21.46 billion | Fortune Business Insights, 2025 |
| U.S. adults who watch streaming | 83% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| U.S. connected TV viewers, 2025 | 250 million+ | eMarketer, 2025 |
| Households owning a smart TV, global | 1.2 billion | Statista, 2025 |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered by aggregating primary disclosures, quarterly trackers, national surveys, and audience-measurement reports published in 2025 and 2026, with every statistic traced to the organization that originally reported it and cross-referenced across two or more sources for the market-share and viewing figures.
Sources cited:
- Roku, Q4 and Full Year 2025 Shareholder Letter and 100 Million Households announcement (2026)
- Nielsen, The Gauge - December 2025 report
- Nielsen, The Gauge - May 2025 historic milestone report
- Pixalate, Q1 2026 Global Connected TV Device Market Share Reports
- Amazon Fire TV devices sold, reported by TechCrunch (2025)
- Google, Android TV and Google TV monthly active devices (2024)
- Hub Entertainment Research, connected TV OS survey via StreamTV Insider and NewscastStudio (2025-2026)
- eMarketer, US TV and Connected TV Ad Spending Forecasts H2 2025
- IAB, linear-to-CTV budget reallocation (2025)
- Pew Research Center, streaming versus cable adoption survey (2025)
- Madison and Wall pay-TV penetration analysis, reported by The Desk (2025)
- Fortune Business Insights, Streaming Media Devices Market report (2025)
- Statista, smart TV households, Apple TV users, and CTV ad-spend estimates (2025)
- Counterpoint Research, global TV shipments tracker (2025-2026)
- appleworld.today, U.S. TV operating system usage share (2026)
Data watch: Nielsen publishes The Gauge monthly, so the next viewing-share update is due within weeks; Pixalate issues its Connected TV device market-share reports quarterly, with Q2 2026 expected soon; Roku reports its next quarterly shareholder letter in early August 2026; eMarketer refreshes its CTV ad-spending forecasts semiannually; and Counterpoint updates its global TV shipments tracker each quarter. Expect the device and viewing-share figures here to move as those editions land.
Last updated: July 16, 2026.
We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.