Myth-busting Hispanic TV Habits: Research Reveals New Viewing Behaviors on the Rise

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Nov. 15, 2016 -- With more content options and more ways to access content than ever before, Hispanic viewing behaviors are rapidly evolving, Horowitz Research’s FOCUS Latino 2016 study reveals. The study’s findings show that, mirroring the general market trend, Hispanics are shifting away from traditional live television. In 2013, Latino viewers reported spending 75% of their weekly viewing time with traditional sources (live, DVR, and VOD) and just 18% streaming. In 2016, traditional viewing has dropped to 58% and streaming has doubled its share to 36%.

The increase in streaming is evident across all acculturation segments. English-oriented and bilingual Hispanics have adopted streaming at a more rapid rate than their Spanish-dominant counterparts, and now spend about four in 10 hours of viewing time on streamed content. Spanish-dominant Latinos spend about three out of every 10 TV viewing hours streaming (view chart).

There are some key differences in terms of usage of streaming sources that present opportunities for players in the Spanish-language content space. While overall, Hispanic subscription rates for SVOD services like Netflix and Hulu are on par with or even higher than the general market, Spanish-dominant Hispanics under-index. About two-thirds of bilingual (65%) and English-oriented (62%) Hispanics report having a subscription to Netflix, while just 44% of Spanish-dominant Latinos do. In line with their lower subscription rates, Spanish-dominant Latinos are less likely than bilingual and English-oriented Latinos to say that they frequently use Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. Moreover, Spanish-dominant Hispanics are more likely to turn to free streaming sources, such as YouTube or “just googling” the name of a show (view chart).

“There’s often a misconception that Spanish-dominant Latinos are less tech savvy and that they are heavily live-TV oriented,” says Adriana Waterston, senior vice president of insights and strategy for Horowitz. “But there have been major changes in viewing behaviors across all segments of the Hispanic market, including among Spanish-dominant Latinos. Access gaps are shrinking as more streaming platforms are offering content for this audience and marketing directly to them. There is a tremendous opportunity to super-serve this audience in the streaming space.”

FOCUS Latino 2016 is a two-part phone and online survey conducted among 876 Hispanic heads of households who are TV viewers (January 2016) and 450 Hispanic internet users 18+ (May 2016). The study focuses on the market for cable, broadband, and new media content, services, and technology among Hispanics.

Learn more about the study at: www.horowitzresearch.com/reports/focus-latino/

About Horowitz Research
Horowitz Research is a leading provider of custom and syndicated consumer market research with an expertise in Hispanic and multicultural consumers and their media habits. For more information, visit www.horowitzresearch.com.

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Stephanie Wong
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