Samsung’s third-quarter sales helped cement the company’s Tizen operating system as the market leader in global connected smart TVs, according to a research note issued last week.
Overall, global shipments of smart TVs and related Internet-connected streaming video devices grew 19 percent during the financial third quarter, with Strategy Analytics estimating more than 81.3 million devices shipped to households around the world, bringing the total number of Internet-connected streaming video devices to just over 1.2 billion.
But Samsung’s Tizen-powered smart TVs came out on top last quarter, with the company selling more than 11.2 million sets around the world — the most out of any electronics manufacturer and one of the best sales quarters for Samsung overall.
Around 155 million Tizen-powered smart TVs are now on the market, the firm said, making Samsung the biggest provider of smart-powered TVs in the world.
“Samsung’s success in building Tizen as a global TV streaming platform bodes well for the company’s new revenue streams,” Michael Goodman, the head of Strategy Analytics’ TV and media division, wrote. “Content providers and advertisers are keen to benefit from the rapidly growing audience for connected TV services as increasing numbers of viewers switch away from traditional pay TV and broadcast platforms.”
Samsung’s dominance is being closely watched by other players in the market, including those who have partnered with Roku and Google to license smart TV operating systems for their own sets. It may also push emerging players like Comcast further into the arena — the cable giant is said to be exploring a partnership with Walmart, and possibly other companies, in an effort to license its X1 platform as an operating system that would be built directly into TV sets.
Samsung’s market share has the potential to grow after the company announced it would begin selling a computer monitor that is powered by the Tizen operating system. The computer monitor offers built-in speakers and comes equipped with Samsung’s streamlined remote control that is typically bundled with its higher-end TV sets. The monitor is already available to purchase at Best Buy in three variants: One with a 27″ high-definition screen for $230, a second with a larger 32″ high-definition screen for $280 and a third with an ultra-high definition (4K) screen for $400.
