Roku — the No. 1 streaming platform in the United States, and No. 2 worldwide — today announced that when it finalizes its Q4 2020 numbers it expects to have some 51.2 million active accounts. That's up a total of 14 million accounts for the year.
Roku also says it's estimated 17 billion streaming hours in the fourth quarter alone, for a total of 58.7 billion streaming hours in 2020. That's up 55 percent year over year for the quarter as well as the full year.
“I’m excited that more than 50 million households now turn to Roku for their TV viewing,” Roku CEO Anthony Wood said in a press release. “The world is moving to streaming and we look forward to continuing to help viewers, advertisers, content publishers, and TV manufacturers succeed in the Streaming Decade.”
While "the Streaming Decade" isn't actually a thing, 2020 very much was a boom year for anyone serving up digital video, since most theaters were closed for most of the year, and nearly everyone has spent more time in their living room than anyone ever expected. And Roku remains one of the most economical ways to maximize your streaming video world with affordable hardware and access to all the major streaming services.
You do have to wonder just how much bigger Roku's numbers might have been had it had access to HBO Max when it launched in May, instead of holding out until December. But the streaming service from WarnerMedia is there now and will only be more important in 2021, with the entire slate of Warner Bros. films going digital at the same time as they land in the few theaters that are open.
Another thing to look for in 2021 is the possibility of more original content from Roku (likely fed via The Roku Channel), possibly from a deal for original content from the now-defunct Quibi service. Nothing's official on that front yet, however.
Roku also has put forth an infographic (at this point, I'll take any data that doesn't involve a video call) that has a few interesting points on it, including the top searches for 2020 — if you were seeking out Yellowstone, you weren't alone — and how Adam Sandler is still more popular than you might think.
Check it out here.
