While Samsung retains its spot as the top U.S. smart TV brand — followed by LG, Vizio and Sony — it was Roku and Amazon Fire TV that saw the greatest growth, according to new data from Hub Entertainment Research. The study found that among the “most-used TV sets” in the U.S., Roku doubled its share to 8 percent since 2024, while Fire TV increased usage to 5 percent. Hub’s Evolution of the TV Set study also found that people are using TV differently as a result of connectivity to the Internet, phones and gaming devices. Meanwhile, Pew Research reports that 83 percent of Americans say they watch streaming services, compared to 36 percent who indicate they subscribe to cable or satellite TV.

Among the Hub findings, U.S. households now have an average of two smart TVs “positioned to deliver more than just TV viewing,” Advanced Television writes, noting that 29 percent of TV owners “say they keep their TVs on whether or not they are sitting in front of it,” using it for things like listening to music (47 percent of users), mirror casting from PCs or phones (40 percent), checking news (including weather and traffic, 23 percent), and playing games directly on TV (20 percent).

Ten percent of owners use their smart TVs to control smart appliances, including video doorbells and lighting systems, making that a less popular use than displaying photos (16 percent), according to the study.

StreamTV Insider reports that “integration of AI features promises to improve the performance of things like search and recommendation, features that have in the recent past disappointed smart TV owners.” Notably, the Hub Research found “keen consumer interest in potential AI feature improvements almost across the board,” StreamTV points out.

Specifically, 84 percent of survey respondents expressed interest in using AI for content recommendations, while 78 percent said they would like it to remember their queues, with 72 percent saying it has potential as a “tool to find shows for multiple viewers,” tied with “user review summaries.” A chatbot for recommending “what to watch next” spurred interest in 62 percent of respondents, just slightly less than those who would like AI to provide “mood or time of day suggestions,” at 64 percent.

The Hub data suggests AI can possibly help in terms of discovery and navigation. The study found the wide variance in smart TV operating systems and their distinct user interfaces presents “challenges for programmers” in understanding how consumers are getting what they want, according to Hub Research.

“From the moment they turn on their set, to their efforts to find specific apps and shows, and how they are exposed to advertising and promotions throughout,” U.S. viewers travel diverse paths due to the absence of a uniform navigation experience, Hub says.

According to Pew Research, “Most Americans (83 percent) say they watch streaming services, with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video being especially common.”

“Far fewer Americans (36 percent) say they subscribe to cable or satellite TV at home,” notes Pew. “Americans ages 65 and older are most likely to say they subscribe to cable or satellite, at 64 percent. Smaller shares of those 50 to 64 (44 percent), 30 to 49 (23 percent) and 18 to 29 (16 percent) say the same.”

“Still, 28 percent of Americans both subscribe to cable or satellite TV and watch streaming services. Another 55 percent watch streaming but do not also have a cable or satellite subscription.” The Pew study shares additional details based on age, income, preferred services, password sharing, and anticipated future trends.