A recent report from Cord Cutters News, published in July 2025, brought some interesting numbers to light regarding the streaming device market. It reinforced a long-standing truth for many cord-cutters: Roku continues to hold a significant lead in North America. According to their survey, Roku commands a whopping 66.5% market share, a testament to its user-friendly interface and vast content library that has made it a favorite for over a decade. Right behind Roku, Amazon Fire TV secured a strong second place with 30.3% of the market.
My Google TV Surprise: Challenging Traditional Perceptions
My initial reaction to these numbers, specifically concerning Google TV, was one of genuine surprise. For a while now, my perception, and perhaps yours too, has been that Google TV's presence in North America was, while growing, still relatively small—perhaps even in the single digits when compared directly to the giants.
The source of my misconception, I realized, often comes from reports that are not strictly platform-based. These analyses tend to fragment Google TV's ecosystem. They might list individual TV brands (like Sony or TCL) that happen to run Google TV, or they focus only on specific external devices like older Chromecast dongles, rather than consolidating the entire operating system across all its diverse hardware. This fragmented reporting can make Google TV's overall footprint seem smaller than it truly is.
Cord Cutters News: A Clearer, Platform-Based Picture
What the Cord Cutters News report does so well, however, is offer a clearer, more unified, and platform-based picture. By aggregating all forms of Google TV/Android TV in North America—including built-in smart TVs and standalone streamers like the Chromecast with Google TV, Onn devices, and even the NVIDIA Shield—it paints a much more accurate portrait.
And what a picture it is! The survey shows a strong 3rd place showing for Google TV/Android TV, with an impressive 20.6% market share. This is a substantial figure, comfortably ahead of Apple TV's 16.8% in the same survey. As I often say, for the purposes of my cord-cutting discussions, a streaming device is a streaming device, whether it's a TV with built-in smarts, a box, or a stick. This report aligns with that philosophy.
The Broader Landscape: Beyond the CCN Top Four
While the CCN report gives us a great snapshot of the top four in its survey, looking at other market data that considers the entire "Connected TV (CTV) device" market in North America reveals an even more diverse "Big Six" that truly represent all devices:
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Roku: Still the consistent leader in North America, often hovering around 37-39% of overall CTV device activity. Its strength comes from both its dedicated streamers and its highly popular Roku TV platform.
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Amazon Fire TV: A very strong and consistent player, usually in the 15-18% range, combining its popular sticks and cubes with Fire TV Edition smart TVs.
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Samsung Smart TV (Tizen OS): A major force primarily through its smart TVs, typically holding 10-17% of the North American overall CTV market, often competing with Amazon for the second or third spot.
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Google TV / Android TV: Reiterate its significant presence (via smart TVs from brands like Sony, TCL, Hisense, and its own streamers), even if a single, consolidated percentage from reports other than CCN is harder to pinpoint due to fragmentation.
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Apple TV: Continues to command a dedicated user base, typically holding around 8-13% of the market with its premium streaming boxes.
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LG (webOS): Strong contender through its smart TVs, generally appearing in the 8-11% range for overall North American CTV device activity.
Globally, Google TV/Android TV's presence is even more pronounced, often leading or coming in a close second as the smart TV operating system of choice, especially in new TV shipments.
What This Means for Cord Cutters
The data, particularly from the CCN report and the broader market insights, underscores a vibrant and increasingly competitive streaming device market. This is fantastic news for cord-cutters like us. More strong, diverse platforms mean more choice, more innovation, and ultimately, better value and experiences for consumers. It pushes all the players to constantly improve.
The latest survey from Cord Cutters News offers a valuable and platform-inclusive look at the North American streaming device market, particularly shedding light on Google TV's robust position. It reminds us that understanding the nuances of how market data is collected is key to truly grasping the landscape. My Streaming Life continues to be shaped by the ever-evolving landscape of streaming devices, providing me with an array of options to enjoy my favorite content.
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