Latinx TV content viewers in the US over-index for subscription streaming services (SVODs) compared with total consumers in the market, but find discovery an issue says the latest FOCUS Latinx Volume 1 Subscriptions report by Horowitz Research.
The new report finds 76% of Latinx TV content viewers subscribe to at least one SVOD service, compared to 67% of consumers overall. When considering password-sharing and promotional bundles, over four-fifths of Latinx have access to at least one SVOD service with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Peacock, and HBO Max topping the list of most popular subscription streaming services among Latinx, with over half having access to each.
One in five Latinx have access, either subscription or free, to Vix+, the premium service offered by TelevisaUnivision following its acquisition of Spanish-language streamer Pantaya.
The study also found that usage of free OTT services is also rapidly increasing among Latinx audiences, given the proliferation of new free services. In 2019, 14% Latinx consumers said they use free streaming services; in 2023, three-quarters reported using them. Increased usage of free streaming services is largely driven by free ad-supported TV (FAST) services, which almost half (48%) of Latinx viewers used. The top FAST services used by Latinx viewers include: YouTube, Tubi, Pluto TV, Roku, and Freevee. Free, Hispanic-targeted streaming services, like OnDemandLatino and ViX, are gaining traction.
Naturally, Spanish-language content remained important: 7 in 10 (72%) Latinx viewers watch Spanish-language TV content at least occasionally, while 6 in 10 (63%) watch international content. It is also a driver for subscriptions: 58% regarded Spanish-language TV content or content geared towards Hispanic audiences as important for their household to have.
When Latinx consumers were asked, unaided, which streaming service comes to mind for having the best selection of Hispanic/Latinx-themed content, Netflix topped the list by a wide margin, even compared to brands that have traditionally dominated Spanish-language television.
However, the survey also discovered that the way the streaming ecosystem is evolving could make it challenging for services that stream exclusively Spanish-language content to attract the level of viewership other services enjoy. Like most consumers, Latinx TV content viewers said they often have a hard time finding something to watch; in fact, they over-index compared to the average consumer for feeling this way. This said the analyst could be driven by the need to search across more services — including Spanish-language and international services as well as mainstream ones — to find the content they are interested in viewing.
“There’s no question that Latinx audiences are among the best customers for streaming services, and that Spanish-language and Latinx-themed content is in demand,” said Adriana Waterston, chief revenue officer and insights & strategy lead for Horowitz Research commenting on the FOCUS Latinx Volume 1 Subscriptions report. “But services that stream exclusively in Spanish need to compete with the existential threat of an ever-increasing number of mainstream services beefing up their Spanish-language and international libraries as well as offering Spanish audio and/or subtitles for most of their content. Consumer marketing to keep Spanish-language services top-of-mind, combined with strategies to drive discovery tune-in, will be critical for them to survive and thrive.”
One in five Latinx have access, either subscription or free, to Vix+, the premium service offered by TelevisaUnivision following its acquisition of Spanish-language streamer Pantaya.
The study also found that usage of free OTT services is also rapidly increasing among Latinx audiences, given the proliferation of new free services. In 2019, 14% Latinx consumers said they use free streaming services; in 2023, three-quarters reported using them. Increased usage of free streaming services is largely driven by free ad-supported TV (FAST) services, which almost half (48%) of Latinx viewers used. The top FAST services used by Latinx viewers include: YouTube, Tubi, Pluto TV, Roku, and Freevee. Free, Hispanic-targeted streaming services, like OnDemandLatino and ViX, are gaining traction.
Naturally, Spanish-language content remained important: 7 in 10 (72%) Latinx viewers watch Spanish-language TV content at least occasionally, while 6 in 10 (63%) watch international content. It is also a driver for subscriptions: 58% regarded Spanish-language TV content or content geared towards Hispanic audiences as important for their household to have.
When Latinx consumers were asked, unaided, which streaming service comes to mind for having the best selection of Hispanic/Latinx-themed content, Netflix topped the list by a wide margin, even compared to brands that have traditionally dominated Spanish-language television.
However, the survey also discovered that the way the streaming ecosystem is evolving could make it challenging for services that stream exclusively Spanish-language content to attract the level of viewership other services enjoy. Like most consumers, Latinx TV content viewers said they often have a hard time finding something to watch; in fact, they over-index compared to the average consumer for feeling this way. This said the analyst could be driven by the need to search across more services — including Spanish-language and international services as well as mainstream ones — to find the content they are interested in viewing.
“There’s no question that Latinx audiences are among the best customers for streaming services, and that Spanish-language and Latinx-themed content is in demand,” said Adriana Waterston, chief revenue officer and insights & strategy lead for Horowitz Research commenting on the FOCUS Latinx Volume 1 Subscriptions report. “But services that stream exclusively in Spanish need to compete with the existential threat of an ever-increasing number of mainstream services beefing up their Spanish-language and international libraries as well as offering Spanish audio and/or subtitles for most of their content. Consumer marketing to keep Spanish-language services top-of-mind, combined with strategies to drive discovery tune-in, will be critical for them to survive and thrive.”
