46% of Adults Watch Video via a Connected TV Device Daily

New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) finds that 87% of U.S. TV households have at least one Internet-connected TV device, including connected Smart TVs, stand-alone streaming devices (like Roku, Amazon Fire TV sticks or boxes, Chromecast, or Apple TV), connected video game systems, and/or connected Blu-ray players. This compares to 80% with at least one connected TV device in 2020, 69% in 2017, and 38% in 2012.

Overall, 46% of adults in U.S. TV households watch video on a TV via a connected device daily – compared to 40% in 2020, 25% in 2017, and 4% in 2012. Younger individuals are most likely to use connected TV devices. Among all ages 18-34, 62% watch video on a TV via a connected device daily – compared to 54% of ages 35-54 and 24% of ages 55+.

These findings are based on a survey of 1,902 TV households in the U.S., and are part of a new LRG study, Connected TVs 2022. This is LRG’s nineteenth annual study on TVs in the U.S.

Other findings include:

• 71% of TV households have at least one connected Smart TV – up from 58% in 2020, 41% in 2017, and 11% in 2012
• 50% of all TV sets in U.S. households are connected Smart TVs – an increase from 39% in 2020, 24% in 2017, and 7% in 2014
• 59% of TV households have at least one stand-alone streaming device – up from 56% in 2020, 40% in 2017, and 4% in 2012
• Across all households (including those with no connected TV devices) there is a mean of 3.9 devices per TV household – compared to 3.2 in 2020, and 2.4 in 2017
• Across all households, the mean number of stand-alone streaming devices is 1.5 – compared to 1.3 connected Smart TVs
• On a daily basis, 28% of adults watch video on a TV via a stand-alone device, 27% via an Internet-enabled Smart TV app, 12% via a connected game system, and 3% via a connected Blu-ray player

“The data in this study indicate that there are now nearly 500 million connected TV devices in U.S. TV households. This is an increase from about 300 million connected TV devices in 2017,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “Along with this increase in the number of devices, the percent of adults in the U.S. using these connected devices to watch video on a TV each day has significantly increased—growing from twenty-five to forty-six percent—in the past five years.”

Connected TVs 2022 is based on a survey of 1,902 adults ages 18+ from throughout the U.S. in households with a TV set. The random sample of respondents was distributed and weighted to best reflect the demographic and geographic makeup of the U.S. The survey, conducted in April-May 2022, included a sample of about 1,275 online and about 625 via telephone (including landline and cell phone calls). The overall sample has a statistical margin of error of +/- 2.2%. The online sample used exclusively for some questions has a statistical margin of error of +/- 2.7%.