Industry news

The number of people in the U.S. who will use a smart TV is expected to rise 10.1 percent from last year, to 168.1 million, according to findings from the eMarketer research firm.

As a result, the firm expects fewer people to watch content from such secondary connected-TV devices as Rokus and Amazon Fire TV Sticks. 

"Essentially, more people are buying smart TVs than previously anticipated, which holds back demand for third-party connectivity devices," said Paul Verna, principal video analyst at eMarketer.

Smart TVs will make up nearly half of all connected TV viewers, growing nearly 31 percent to 81.2 million users in 2017.

Despite smart TV’s dominance, growth in usage of connected-TV devices remains robust, said the firm. It estimated that 38.9 million Americans will use a Roku device at least once a month, up 19.3 percent from last year. As a result, the device will capture nearly a quarter (23.1) percent of all connected-TV users.

Indeed, Roku leads the pack, with an estimated 38.9 million people expected to use one at least once a month. Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV follow in succession.