Smart TVs to Become Leading Growth Driver in App-Based Connected TV Market: NPD

Smart TVs will reach near parity with streaming media players next year as platforms delivering apps to TVs, said a Wednesday NPD report. By 2020, smart TVs will drive 48 percent of installed internet-connected TV device growth, compared with 31 percent for streaming media players, with Blu-ray players and game consoles accounting for the balance, NPD said. Mass-market adoption of 4K TV also will play a role in the growth of connected TV as nearly all 4K TVs are internet-capable, said NPD analyst John Buffone. As the options for connecting TVs to the internet grow, consumers eventually will choose a preferred device, resulting in “diminished use for other devices,” said Buffone, who said streaming media player OEMs including Google, Roku and Amazon will continue to partner with TV makers to integrate their operating systems into displays.