According to a recent study by Ampere Analysis (via Advanced Television), the connected television (Smart TV) is the predominant device for watching audiovisual content among Internet users aged 18 to 64 in the United States.
Smart TV and content consumption, the figures in the United States and Europe££££
Between the beginning of 2021 and the end of 2024, the time spent by American Internet users in front of Smart TVs increased by 27%. This duration represents on average 31% of their viewing time, the largest proportion of all devices. In the United States, the time spent watching Smart TV content exceeded that devoted to linear television content in the third quarter of 2022, and the gap has continued to widen since then. Logically, this viewing choice is stimulated by the growing adoption of Smart TVs in the USA: by the end of 2024, 78% of Internet users owned a connected television compared to 59% at the end of 2016.
The results are more or less similar in Europe where 76% of internet users owned a Smart TV in Q3 2024, 25% better than at the end of 2021. However, Europeans still spend more time in front of linear television and slightly less time in front of Smart TV content (almost an hour per day on average, compared to 1h30 for Americans).
In the words of Annabel Yeomans, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis££££
“As engagement with streaming services continues to grow, so too does the adoption of Smart TVs which offer easy access to a range of platforms,” comments Annabel Yeomans, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis. One of the most advanced streaming markets in the world, the US, has seen some of the strongest growth in adoption, and Ampere expects this to continue, particularly with older audiences who are watching more streaming services. In Europe, by contrast, the strength of linear TV has led to slower growth for smart TVs, but even here they are increasing their share of viewing time.