Apple TV has fallen to third place behind Roku and Chromecast

Tim Cook swears Apple TV isn’t just a hobby for the mothership anymore, but according to the latest estimates, it might be time for Apple unleashed some new non-hobby Apple TV features if it wants to catch up to Roku and Chromecast. New data from Parks Associates reveals that while the Apple TV streaming box has been available for over seven years, Chromecast has already surged past Apple TV in 2013, making Google’s tiny stick the most popular streaming device in the US. Google has already sold about 3.8 million Chromecast units since revealing its streaming device in mid-2013, which puts it roughly equal with Roku’s sales through 2013, according to data from Parks Associates. Apple TV comes in at third place with only 2 million units sold in the US last year.

Roku and Chromecast were the two most successful streaming devices sold in the U.S. in 2013, according to new data from Parks Associates, which puts Apple TV on third place. Google sold an estimated 3.8 million Chromecast streaming sticks after introducing the product in mid-2013, according to Parks, which also estimates that this about equals Roku’s sales throughout 2013. Apple is trailing, and sold just a bit more than two million devices in the U.S. last year, according to data shared by Parks. However, the picture looks a little different beyond U.S. borders. Globally, Apple has sold more than 20 million Apple TVs since launching the device in 2007, whereas Roku’s total sales since its launch were 8 million by the end of 2013. One reason for this discrepancy is that Roku thus far is only available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland, whereas Apple is selling its Apple TV in dozens of countries. Google is quickly expanding its international reach as well: After launching just in the U.S. in 2013, Chromecast is now available in 19 countries. Parks published data in June suggesting that Chromecast usage was down, with Chromecast owners using the device less frequently than they did six months ago.Google has since released data of its own, showing that per-minute usage of active devices continues to rise. Parks analyst John Barrett argued in response that both could be true.