Samsung has been the biggest TV brand in the world for fourteen years in a row. These days, TVs are being increasingly used to not only watch live channels but also to stream on-demand video from services like HBO Now, Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube. Now, a new report shows that the South Korean tech brand topped the global TV and video streaming device market in Q1 2020.
During the pandemic, video streaming services broke records as most people stayed home for remote learning and remote working. According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung accounted for 14% of devices in use for video streaming on TVs during the first quarter of this year. The South Korean firm was followed by Sony with a market share of 12% and LG with an 8% share of the global market.
When it comes to TV streaming platforms and their market shares, Tizen ranked the first with a market share of 11 percent. Tizen was developed by Intel and Samsung. LG's WebOS and Sony's PlayStation platforms are tied at the second rank with a market share of 7% each. The report claims that over 1.1 billion people are currently using TVs to stream videos and that the market will grow further.
Strategy Analytics said, “Streaming video is increasingly viewed on TV screens rather than mobile devices, particularly during the pandemic. TV streaming platforms will become a dominant force in video streaming in many countries as demand for traditional pay TV, broadcast, and home video platforms declines.”
Looking at this explosive growth of the video streaming segment, Samsung developed its own on-demand video streaming service Samsung TV+. It brings access to more than 130 channels for free and without any sign-in process. The user is not required to download any additional app or pay to watch anything. However, Samsung TV+ is only available in a few countries as of now.
