• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, April 8, 2015

Consumer use of connected TVs is continuing to grow quickly. More than 22 million so-called smart TVs are now in broadband homes, a big jump from 13 million a year ago. That finding comes from an NPD Group report on the connected-device TV market. The study also found that these kind of connected TVs are now more popular than Blu-ray disc players, which are in about 20 million homes.

However, these smart TVs have a ways to go before they reach the top. Video game consoles and streaming media players are the most popular connected devices that consumers use to watch TV shows on over-the-top services.

Overall, the market is poised to expand further, thanks to efforts from top-tier networks to make their shows easily available on alternative devices. Networks like HBO and Showtime are leading the charge, NPD said in its report.  About one third of users who have a smart TV or connected TV are accessing television shows using an on-screen app from a network at least once a week, with more than 40% doing so daily, according to research from HUB Research shared by eMarketer. Usage among Millennials was even higher.

The long and short of the connected TV market is this: Consumers are becoming savvier and growing more aware of alternative methods to access TV content, fueling the growth.  NPD predicts that there will be 47 million connected TVs in 30 million U.S. homes by 2017.