NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—Horowitz Research has released a new study on the viewing and media habits of U.S. Hispanic/Latine audiences that shows a dramatic decline in pay TV penetration and rising usage levels of SVOD and other streaming services.
The report found that the growing availability of Spanish-language content on streaming platforms was a key driver of reduced pay TV penetration.
The new FOCUS Latinx Volume I: Subscriptions 2024, an annual report tracking the evolution of the pay and free TV, streaming, internet, and mobile environment among U.S. Hispanic/Latine audiences, found that just four in 10 (39%) Latine households subscribe (compared to 48% among consumers overall). This represents a substantial drop from six in 10 (60%) Latine households that still subscribed to cable or satellite services last year, in 2023.
Latine audiences, the researchers noted, have long been at the forefront of adopting and using subscription streaming services, with higher levels of streaming usage compared to the overall population for many years.
Currently a major factor contributing to loss of subscribers to traditional cable/satellite services is the continued uptick in the quantity and quality of Spanish-language and Latine-themed content available through streaming, the study found.
According to the study, a full three in four (75%) Latine viewers watch at least some content in Spanish, with usage spanning across acculturation segments, and two in three Spanish-dominant and bilingual Latine consumers (68% and 66%, respectively) say that having Spanish-language content is an important consideration when choosing a TV service.
The 2024 study from Horowitz shows that Latine content viewers are more likely to have and use subscription streaming services (78%, compared to 63% among total), free streaming services (80% among Latine, compared to 67% among total), and virtual MVPDs such as YouTube TV, Sling, Hulu with Live TV, etc. (36% vs. 23%). Usage of free streaming services alone has jumped from just 14% in 2019 among Latine audiences.
Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Max are the top-used SVODs by Latine households, and Tubi, Pluto TV, YouTube, Freevee, and Roku top the list of FAST platforms used.
“The rules of engagement with Latine audiences have not inherently changed despite variations in which platforms and services consumers are using to access content,” notes Adriana Waterston, executive vice president and insights and strategy lead for Horowitz Research. “Services hoping to attract and retain Latine audiences must continue to focus on presenting the best Spanish-language offerings with high quality, desirable new content as well as robust libraries of classic Spanish shows and movies to represent real value for these viewers.”
The full FOCUS Latinx Volume I: Subscriptions 2024 study tracks the evolution of the pay and free TV, streaming, internet, and mobile environment among U.S. Hispanic/Latine consumers, including MVPDs, vMVPDs, SVODs, AVOD, FAST, OTA, and 5G. It looks at Spanish and English viewing behaviors and the demand for Spanish language, international content, and content targeting U.S. Latine/Hispanic viewers.
The survey was conducted in January - February 2024 among 721 Latine TV content viewers 18+. Data have been weighted to ensure results are representative of the Latine TV universe. The report is available in total market, FOCUS Latinx, FOCUS Black, and FOCUS Asian editions.
For more information about the FOCUS Latinx Volume I: Subscriptions 2024 report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/focus-latinx/.
