Looks like the Roku and Chromecast now have Apple’s number. According to a new report from Parks Associates both devices have outsold the Apple TV this year in the U.S.
Parks and Associates are guesstimating (let’s be honest, it’s guess work) that Google and Roku have each sold 3.8 million devices, with Apple selling just 2 million devices.
Thing is, these numbers mean squat.
The story changes drastically when you factor in global sales, as well as the number of devices sold since a products original release. Worldwide, since the Apple TV originally launched, Apple has sold approximately 20 million devices compared to just 8 million for the Roku. Starting to see the problem here?
Making matters even worse is the fact that both the Google Chromecast and Roku don’t have the same market reach as the Apple TV. For instance, the Chromecast is only available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. Bascially, when it comes to measuring the success of media streaming devices like the Apple TV or Roku we’re trying to compare two products that aren’t on even footing. Slice it up however you want, the sum of the parts won’t equal the whole.
