Google gave the two previously stagnant platforms Android TV and Chromecast a major reboot some time ago with a de facto merger. This pays off because a look at the current market shares shows that Android TV is the fastest growing TV platform and even the classic Chromecast remains stable.
For a long time, Android TV felt like a stepchild platform and the further development of the Chromecast was at an impasse – that’s a slightly exaggerated way of describing the situation in mid-2020.
This was followed by the restart of “Google TV” as the third brand in this segment, which brought both previously separate platforms under one roof. The first device, Chromecast with Google TV, will be followed by many more in the future, and both the Chromecast line and the Android TV operating system stand to benefit greatly.
As market researchers are now showing, Android TV is the fastest growing TV platform. The market researchers do not refer to sales figures or actively used devices, but to the useful life – perhaps the better indicator in this area. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Android TV usage increased by a whopping 42 percent. But LG, Samsung and Roku were also able to grow, while Amazon and the two consoles Xbox and PlayStation lost favor with users.
Interesting and almost overlooked: The Chromecast remains exactly stable compared to the previous year. That means Android TV has been able to grow strongly without cannibalizing the classic Chromecast in its first year.
A look at the market shares around the world shows something interesting: In Europe, Android TV has a share of 13 percent and Chromecast has a share of 10 percent. Together they control a good quarter of the market, which is quite fragmented in Europe and does not have a clearly dominant manufacturer. The only product that can dominate in any region of the world is Android TV in the Asian market with a 51 percent share.
Ironically, things are not going well for Google in the North American home market, because Roku, Amazon and Samsung are in charge there.
Whether it’s good or bad for users that the markets around the world are being worked on by so many providers on an equal footing is a matter of opinion. In combination with the equally strong and increasing streaming platforms, “television” has certainly become more convenient, but not necessarily easier.