According to Google, their Android TV platform is now being used by “tens of millions of consumers” around the world, mostly in Europe and Asia. That is also due to their partnership with more than 100 Pay TV operators globally. This also means that they are planning to expand to more markets and they are expecting adoption in the US market in particular to increase especially with the imminent launch of AT&T’s DirectTV set-top that will be powered by Android TV as well.
According to Shalini Govil-Pai, the senior director of product management for Android TV, half of the users of Android TV actually come from their operator partners from around the world. In case you didn’t know it yet, the open platform lets operator subscribers access the Google Play Store in order to play popular streaming services like Netflix and YouTube on their smart TV. They also support more niche OTT platforms like the recently launched MVPD Philo.
AT&T-owned DirectTV is also set to release a a slimline set-top for subscribers to their premium live-streaming service. This box will be powered by Android TV and is already in beta testing. It is expected to be deployed on a wider scale by the middle of next year. This should ensure that Android TV adoption will increase in the US market.
Other US video technology vendors like Arris and Evolution Digital are still integrating Android TV in their technology so users are probably using it even if they don’t know that it is actually Google’s Android TV (which can either be a good thing or bad thing).
VIA: Multi Channel
