Hispanic consumers are one of the most digitally active groups in the US
Carlfred Giles
Hispanic digital media usage rivals or exceeds that of the total population on most media platforms, especially Instagram and WhatsApp. Their strong online presence and enthusiasm for sharing product recommendations with friends make them both a target and an ally for advertisers.
Digital video wins over traditional TV among Hispanic viewers
The US Hispanic population has the highest rate of digital video penetration among racial and ethnic groups, at 81.3%. One contributing factor may be the predominance of multigenerational households: A larger household means a greater demand for content variety, which streaming offers more readily and affordably than traditional or cable TV. Per the 2023 Census data, the average number of people per family household is highest among Hispanics compared with other racial and ethnic groups.
Viewers spend over half (50.7%) of their total TV time streaming videos, per July 2023 data from Nielsen.YouTube and Netflix hold the largest shares, likely fueled by accessibility and variety. YouTube’s free platform houses hundreds of classic Latin American movies and shows, along with content on more niche interests. And Netflix has entrenched itself as a household necessity, with one of the most diverse libraries among major subscription video-on-demand platforms. These platforms are the best deal for many Hispanic households.
Only 40% of Hispanic consumers cite language as a “very important” factor when streaming, according to Nielsen. In comparison, 70% of non-Hispanic consumers feel the same way. This is likely due to the population being overwhelmingly bilingual (or at least able to understand a second language), coupled with the experience among foreign-born Hispanic consumers of growing up with dubbed or subtitled programs imported from other countries.
Spanish-dominant households haven’t completely abandoned broadcast TV. According to Comscore’s survey in 2022, Univision has the largest audience on average among Hispanic TV networks, a position that’s been bolstered by its merger with Televisa. The Spanish-language media company recently launched a free, ad-based streaming platform, ViX, which hit 40 million monthly average users globally in Q3 2023.
