It is essential to distinguish between Smart TV and Connected TV when contextualizing the usage data of each OS. A Smart TV is a television capable of streaming content through native apps with an internet connection, without the need for external hardware. On the other hand, Connected TV encompasses Smart TVs as well as any device that streams content over the internet to a television, such as set-top boxes (Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast), gaming consoles, or even hybrid set-top boxes like Movistar+, Sky Q, or Xfinity Flex.
Thus, the market share of an OS may seem small in some cases, but if we include all devices implementing that OS, the numbers grow significantly.
Currently, the market is highly fragmented due to the large number of Smart TV brands and set-top boxes competing for market share. This competition is fierce in one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, continuously gaining new users worldwide.
As the number of Operating Systems is very wide, we could make a ranking of major OS in Smart TVs. If we focus solely on Smart TVs, the global usage share of various Operating Systems is as follows. It’s crucial to note that if we include devices like Chromecast or other set-top boxes using the same OS, the percentages would be higher.
1. Tizen OS
Developed by Samsung, Tizen OS is exclusive to its Smart TVs. In 2024, Tizen OS leads the market with a 13% share of Smart TVs running this OS.
2.VIDAA OS
In 2024, VIDAA OS ranked as the second most popular OS for Smart TVs worldwide, with a 7.8% market share. Developed by Hisense, it is also used in devices from other brands such as Toshiba, Loewe, and Schneider.
3. WebOS
Owned by LG and based on Linux, webOS was initially created by Palm Inc. In 2024, webOS holds third place with a 7.4% market share. While it is not exclusive to LG TVs, only a few brands, such as Hyundai, have adopted it. Notably, webOS has introduced "webOS Pay," designed to facilitate personalized payments through LG Smart TVs.
4.Roku OS
Primarily used in TVs from brands like TCL and Hisense in specific markets. In 2024 Roku launched its first Smart TV by TCL. Roku OS reached a 6.4% market share in 2024. This figure is bolstered by Roku's set-top boxes, which enable non-connected TVs to access connected TV services.
In the U.S., Roku holds the leading position with 37% of users, outperforming Samsung (Tizen OS) and FireTV (Fire OS).
5.Fire OS
Based on Android and developed by Amazon, Fire OS powers Fire TV devices and certain partnered TV brands. Its market share is similar to Roku OS for similar reasons.
6.Android TV / Google TV
Android TV, introduced in 2014, was updated in 2020 with Google TV, offering an enhanced interface. Many devices now receive updates to Google TV, but both are effectively the same OS by Google.
Considering only Smart TVs, the OS holds a 5.9% share. However, although the data is not known, if we consider all devices that provide access to streaming, such as Google Chromecast, customized OTT that use this OS, and even if we consider that Fire OS, its base is the Android operating system, its market share could potentially be the highest of all OS.
7.Apple TV OS
It’s always important to consider Apple’s role in any emerging market, especially in CTV, which is by no means unrelated to its business (hardware, subscriptions within its ecosystem, applications, etc.). Currently, Apple holds a global market share of just 2.7%, and all its reach is exclusively due to users connecting via its set-top boxes, as well as global subscribers to its Apple TV service—a business that has yet to maximize subscriber numbers, currently reaching only about 25 million worldwide.
It’s quite surprising that Apple hasn’t chosen to take a larger role in the CTV market, as it has in other digital devices like desktops or mobile. Therefore, it wouldn’t be surprising if Apple finally took the step that has been widely speculated in recent years and decided to launch its own Smart TV devices. This move would proportionally increase the market share of its proprietary operating system as the sales of its own devices grew.
8.Ventura OS
It is worth mentioning that for example, companies focused on the digital marketing sector, such as The Trade Desk, are developing their own operating system for Smart TVs called Ventura OS. According to the presentation of this operating system, one of its main pillars will be the integration of universal identifiers like OpenPath and Unified ID 2.0, as we mentioned in this article on our blog. This will help advertisers purchase ad impressions with greater transparency and pricing accuracy. Another feature they promise to optimize is making the advertising supply chain more efficient by minimizing intermediaries and costs, thus ensuring the maximum return on investment (ROI) for each campaign while simultaneously improving publisher performance.
9.Tivo OS
Tivo OS is a rapidly growing OS. Launched in 2023 in Europe, TiVo OS has achieved a 2.3% market share and plans to expand to the U.S. in 2025 through Sharp, which will allow it to gain a larger number of users.
10.Titan OS
Titan OS is a highly customizable operating system designed to enhance the user experience with simple and intuitive navigation. A distinguishing feature of this OS is that the company behind its development has created an advertising division, Titan Advertising, which enables advertisers to reach users in a highly targeted way. Currently, Philips and AOC are the brands adopting this OS, but in the future, through partnerships, it is expected to reach a large number of brands, similar to how WebOS and Tizen OS expanded in their time.
11.Whale OS
In 2025, Whale OS will enter the market, building on previous versions of the OS under the Zeasn brand, which were already implemented in TVs like Philips, Sharp, and TCL. The system has undergone substantial improvements, including the addition of a free ad-supported streaming television service (FAST) called Whale TV+, with a model similar to the Pluto TV app, offering both on-demand and live content. It is important to highlight that the Saphi OS operating system is the OS of Whale OS, implemented in Philips TVs, which shows that although it is a new system, it really has been in the industry for many years.
In conclusion, there are many other operating systems, such as Saphi, and SmartCast, but they hold relatively small market shares. The current trend is toward even greater market fragmentation; for example, in 2018, Tizen OS (Samsung) held approximately a 20% market share, but it has now dropped to 12.8%. This decline is largely due to the rise of brands like TCL and HiSense, which are lowering the prices of these devices and steadily gaining market share year after year. The business model may shift toward generating revenue through alternative channels, such as advertising. It’s not far-fetched to imagine a future where televisions could be offered at no cost in exchange for displaying ads and allowing the collection of user data for commercial purposes. In fact, some projects are already experimenting with this approach, such as Telly, which incorporates a second screen to display ads, as well as a camera and microphone to record and capture everything the user watches and says.
