Here’s a conclusion that’s sure to rile up an industry that remains vibrant and attracts millions of consumers who prefer to watch Spanish-language content. According to Claritas, “For those trying to reach this powerful segment, you will not find this digitally savvy, cord cutting segment on linear TV.”
That’s a highlight from the just-released 2024 Annual Hispanic Market Report from Claritas, which acquired former Hispanic market-focused research company Geoscape several years ago, taking over their own annual studies.
With “power, diversity and influence” key traits of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2024, Claritas paints a picture that puts digital and streaming media at the forefront of video content consumption. While NBCUniversal’s Upfront presentation was heavily skewed toward its Peacock OTT offering and TelevisaUnivision’s VIX platform has received outsized attention at that company’s Upfronts since 2022, broadcast networks and cable TV channels remain the backbone of U.S. Hispanic video consumption.
Or are they? As other market research shows, Claritas plays up the digital savviness of U.S. Hispanics, who remain heavy users of mobile devices, the internet and streaming services. “They’re more likely to bundle their TV, internet, and phone services, and they show a strong preference for streaming content on smartphones, making it essential for marketers to prioritize mobile-first strategies,” Claritas says.
Hispanics demonstrate a stronger preference for content downloaded or streamed through Over-The-Top (OTT) service providers, with 29% of Hispanics watching 3-5 hours per week compared to 22% for non-Hispanics. Additionally, Live TV Programming is more popular among Hispanics in the 1-2 hour range, where 40% of Hispanics engage compared to just 24% of non-Hispanics. “Moreover, you can also say that 61% of Hispanics watch Live TV for 1-5 hours which is significantly higher than the 42% of non-Hispanics who do the same and 21% of Hispanics watch Live TV for 6+ hours, compared to a larger 40% of non-Hispanics, indicating different engagement levels with long-form live TV content between the two groups,” Claritas writes.
Hispanic consumer behavior ranging from price-sensitivity and discount retail preferences to cultural relevance are discussed in the report, which can be downloaded by clicking here.
“Most Hispanic adults (79%) report watching less than 1 hour of live TV per day,” says Ron Cohen, SVP of Practice Leadership at Claritas. “We note a trend toward the use of mobile service providers as the primary Internet provider in the home, especially in Hispanic households where bundling mobile, Internet & TV services is becoming more popular.”
Cohen adds that one of the important themes of this report is that brands should be considering a “mobile-first” approach to the Hispanic market.
