US homes now own an average of two smart TVs – dominated by LG and Samsung – but Roku and FireTV continue to make headway in 2025. Hub Entertainment Research released its annual "Evolution of the TV Set" study revealing that the fragmented TV landscape provides opportunities for TV brands to break out with new applications that will win viewers.
Hub Research asked users what TV set they "use most" at home - and Samsung and LG are by far the most popular. But Roku and FireTV are on the rise. Samsung and LG continue to be market leaders, with Vizio and Sony a strong second tier. But among "most-used TV sets," Roku usage doubled to 8% and FireTVs increased to 5%, significant growth since 2024.
At the center of living rooms everywhere, smart TVs are positioned to deliver more than just TV viewing. More than a third of users say they keep their TVs on whether or not they are sitting in front of it. Non-TV features like music-listening (done by nearly half of users) and smart device connectivity like video calls and doorbell monitoring continue to be big growth opportunities for users.
App-centric TV screens are the window to how people find content. The growing importance of the TV operating system (OS) interface is stronger than ever, with most viewers first seeing home screen apps when they turn on their TVs. Even for people who still subscribe to cable, this app-centric world is now the norm.
Universal search features to find content across services have generally fallen short for users, hampered by usability challenges. New AI driven recommendations offer hope to help solve for content discovery, as more than half of current AI users are interested in AI-powered TV enhancements to help them find and watch the shows they love.
"Without a single TV operating system dominating the market, each has the opportunity to better promote streaming services and AI-viewing enhancements to make things easier for viewers," says Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant at Hub. "The challenge of finding a good show to watch is not just about too many services to choose from; it’s about finding a TV operating system that simplifies those choices in a way that works.”
These findings are from Hub’s 2025 “Evolution of TV Set” report, based on a survey of 2,528 US consumers age 16-74. Interviews were completed in May 2025.