Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) announced on Jan. 8 that the Roku OS was the No. 1 smart TV OS sold in the U.S. and Canada, according to NPD’s Weekly Retail Tracking Service.
According to a press release, Roku TV held 38% of market share in the US and 31% in Canada, based on available data from January 5 through December 26, 2020, maintaining the lead spot in both regions. The company added that, in North America, millions of Roku TV models were sold across thousands of retail stores offering consumers hundreds of models to choose from in a range of sizes and picture quality options -- from 24-inch HD to 75-inch 4K HDR models.
With the Roku TV reference design, TV OEM brands efficiently and cost effectively build and sell best-in-class smart TVs at competitive price points that consumers love. Roku TV models feature a simple home screen to enable consumers to easily access thousands of free and paid streaming channels, plus advanced features like fast search across top channels and voice compatibility for Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant-enabled smart devices. The easy-to-use remote, automatic software updates and seamless audio integration offers added convenience.
In related news, expanding the Roku TV Ready ecosystem further, Roku also on Jan. 8 unveiled a new wireless reference design for consumer electronics brands. This new wireless soundbar reference design uses Roku’s proprietary audio technology to connect seamlessly with any Roku TV model wirelessly, offering impressive audio and video synchronization, making it even easier for Roku TV customers to add great audio to their TV experience. It will also ensure simple set-up without the clutter of cords and easy operation with one Roku TV remote.
The new reference design will enable consumer electronic companies to build and sell wireless soundbars under their own brand. TCL is expected to launch the first wireless soundbar and will announce device specifics at their CES 2021 event on Jan. 12.
“We are proud to power the smart TVs that are most frequently purchased in the United States and Canada. Every day we work to ensure our customers have the best TV experience and that means – ease of use, choice, endless entertainment and great value,” said Mustafa Ozgen, senior vice president of Account Acquisition at Roku. “Additionally, with the introduction of our new wireless soundbar reference design, we are continuing to expand our home entertainment eco-system to ensure consumers can pair any Roku TV with great sound.”
In the United States, Element will launch a 2.0 Roku TV Ready Soundbar and 2.1 Roku TV Ready Soundbar + Subwoofer later this month. Element joins TCL, Hisense, Enclave, Sound United & Bose who all released Roku TV Ready certified audio products in the U.S. in 2020. Roku aims to expand the availability of Roku TV Ready program internationally and will announce partners and products by country at a later stage.
Learn more at www.roku.com.