Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Market overview
- Top takeaways
- Impact of COVID-19 on Black consumers’ media consumption
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on broadcast and cable/satellite and Black consumers TV, May 2020
- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on streaming/OTT services and Black consumers, May 2020
- Figure 3: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on newspapers/magazines and Black consumers, May 2020
- The insights
- Streaming services battle cable/satellite for Black consumers’ media consumption
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- Figure 4: Black consumers’ media service subscriptions, December 2019
- Black consumers still subscribe to cable, but the numbers are dwindling
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- Figure 5: Cable and satellite household subscribers, by total and Black, 2015-19
- Black consumers prefer to use traditional rather than new devices to consume content
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- Figure 6: Black consumers’ media consumption, by device, December 2019
- Advertising that does not entertain or inform is an unwelcome disruption
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- Figure 7: Black consumers’ behaviors toward advertising/commercials while consuming media, December 2019
- Black consumers’ subscription choices to streaming or cable driven by value
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- Figure 8: Black consumers’ TV content consumption behavior, by media service subscriptions, December 2019
- The opportunities
- Integrate relevant messaging within high-quality programming
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- Figure 9: Black consumers’ path-to-purchase media behavior, by select media, December 2019
- Give consumers greater control in creating entertainment content subscriptions
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- Figure 10: Black consumers’ TV content consumption behavior, December 2019
- What it means
The Impact of COVID-19 on Black Consumers and Media Consumption
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- What you need to know
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- Figure 11: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on broadcast and cable/satellite TV and Black consumers, May 2020
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- Figure 12: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on streaming/OTT services and Black consumers, May 2020
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- Figure 13: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on newspapers/magazines and Black consumers, May 2020
- Opportunities and Threats
- Sequestered consumers had the time to discover new content on new services
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- Figure 14: HBO Insecure TV program free premiere on YouTube announcement, April 13, 2020
- Black-consumer targeted media outlets can fill an information void using new platforms
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- Figure 15: BET Saving Ourselves COVID-19 Relief Effort announcement, April 21, 2020
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- Figure 16: Tweet from media personality/political pundit Tiffany Cross, March 22, 2020
- Independent producers may find a wider audience on streaming services
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- Figure 17: Instagram feed featuring Babyface and Teddy Riley Verzus media battle, April 20, 2020
- Impact on the media market
- Streamlined and cancelled advertising will further stress Black media
- Cable and satellite TV services will see accelerated cancellations
- Free content draws new subscribers; content value will determine retention past the short term
- Audio services see rise in at-home consumption, may expand audience across all devices post-lockdown
- How the crisis will affect Black consumers
- Memories of the last long recovery will cause Black consumers to evaluate their entertainment spending
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- Figure 18: Unemployment, by total and Black workers, January 2007-May 2020
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- Figure 19: Median household income (inflation adjusted), index to 2007 dollars, by total and Black households, 2007-18
- Mature Black consumers will feel the loss of trusted local news
- Young Black consumers will be first to shed services
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- Figure 20: Jalailah Harmon sponsored tweet for Scooby movie promotion, May 20, 2020
- How a COVID-19 recession will reshape the media industry
- Terrestrial radio will accelerate shift toward syndication
- Cable networks will double-down on streaming options
- COVID-19: US context
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Black households include extended family relationships and more children on average
- The broadband digital divide continues to close
- Black consumers are cutting the cable cord while streaming service subscriptions rise
The Black Population at a Glance
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- The total Black population includes 44.3 million people
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- Figure 21: US population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2019
- Half of Black households include one adult
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- Figure 22: Households, by detailed type, by total and Black, 2019
- Black families include more children than all families
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- Figure 23: Average number of people per household, by race and Hispanic origin, 2019
Market Factors
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- Black household income lags behind the US median
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- Figure 24: US household median income, by race and Hispanic origin, 2019
- At-home access gap to broadband internet is closing
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- Figure 25: Broadband internet subscriptions, by race and Hispanic origin, 2015-18
- Black adults less likely to complete their college degree
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- Figure 26: Educational attainment, by race and Hispanic origin, 2019
- Black college-degreed workers less likely to work from home
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- Figure 27: Share of workers by race and Hispanic origin who are able to work from home, 2017-18
Market Perspective
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- Black cable subscribers are cutting the cord
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- Figure 28: Cable and satellite household subscribers, by total and Black, 2015-19
- Black consumers lag in using streaming services
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- Figure 29: Video streaming service use, top five streaming services, by Black indexed to all, October 2018-December 2019
- Netflix is the clear streaming video winner among Black viewers
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- Figure 30: Video streamed or downloaded services, 2015-19
- Black viewers keep cable for access to culturally related content
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- Figure 31: Top 10 cable networks, by total and Black indexed to all, October 2018-December 2019
- Streaming music tops internet usage
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- Figure 32: Online activities, media, by total and Black indexed to all, October 2018-December 2019
- Newcomer YouTube Music is the favorite among Black listeners
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- Figure 33: Digital music services used and pay subscriptions, by total and Black, October 2018-December 2019
- Black consumers see advertising as informative and entertaining
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- Figure 34: Attitudes toward media and advertising, by total and Black indexed to all, October 2018-December 2019
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Content providers offer free programming to gain and retain viewers
- Black media creates wellness space in response to COVID-19
- Temporary, yet rising Black unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic may impact subscriptions
Black Media and COVID-19 Response
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- Essence launches wellness content in response to the coronavirus pandemic
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- Figure 35: Essence Wellness House, April 1, 2020
- Cable networks air town-hall specials to address COVID-19 impact on Black Americans
What to Watch
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- Access to free/low-cost content may lead to cable cancellations
- Entertainment spending among the top choices to eliminate in an economic downturn
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- Figure 36: Extra money in household spending and eliminated household spending areas from loss of income, October 2019
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Streaming services have taken over cable subscriptions
- Black consumers prefer anytime viewing on traditional devices
- Streaming and cable subscribers are mostly happy with their subscriptions
- TV time equals downtime for some, social time for others
- Black consumers expect high-quality content across all platforms
- Messaging makes the difference in making advertising effective
Media Service Subscriptions
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- Streaming services are primary source of content
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- Figure 37: Media service subscriptions, by total and Black indexed to all, December 2019
- Young women subscribe to the most services
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- Figure 38: Media service subscriptions, by gender and age, December 2019
- Middle-income households subscribe to streaming and cable at similar rates
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- Figure 39: Media service subscriptions, by household income, December 2019
- Streaming services offer greater choice for parents and their kids
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- Figure 40: Media service subscriptions, by parental status and kids’ age groups, December 2019
Content Consumption Preferences
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- Media platform source varies, but consumption still accessed on traditional devices
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- Figure 41: Media consumption, by device, December 2019
- Lifestage determines TV program device usage
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- Figure 42: Media consumption – television, by device, by key demographics, December 2019
- Lifestyles and routines determine radio listenership
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- Figure 43: Media consumption – radio, by device, by key demographics, December 2019
- Newspaper access is primarily via print, but online is gaining traction
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- Figure 44: Media consumption – newspapers, by device, by key demographics, December 2019
- Magazine format and content drive device use
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- Figure 45: Media consumption – magazines, by device, by various demographics, December 2019
- Podcasts are perfect for on-the-go listening
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- Figure 46: Media consumption – podcasts, by device, by key demographics, December 2019
Attitudes toward TV, Video and Audio Services
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- Value in streaming and cable services lies within content
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- Figure 47: Attitudes toward TV services, December 2019
- Streaming and cable subscribers find value in their respective preferred platforms
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- Figure 48: Attitudes toward TV, video and audio services, by media service subscriptions, December 2019
- Young viewers happiest with bundled streaming services
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- Figure 49: Attitudes toward TV services, by age, December 2019
- Parents find content for everyone in the home with streaming and cable
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- Figure 50: Attitudes toward TV services, by parental status, December 2019
TV Content Consumption Behavior
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- Anytime and appointment TV is important to Black viewers
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- Figure 51: TV content consumption behavior, December 2019
- Streaming subscribers more likely to be social in person and online
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- Figure 52: TV content consumption behavior, by media service subscriptions, December 2019
- Content engagement drives viewership; social media and advertising a minor diversion
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- Figure 53: TV content consumption behavior, by age, December 2019
- Parents of young kids stream content alone for downtime
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- Figure 54: TV content consumption behavior, by parental status and kids’ age group, December 2019
Attitudes toward Media Content
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- Better content on streaming platforms change viewership
- In their own words
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- Figure 55: Attitudes toward media content, December 2019
- Everyone loves TV 2.0, especially video streamers
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- Figure 56: Attitudes toward media content, by media service subscriptions, December 2019
- Mature Black consumers least likely to pay attention to advertising
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- Figure 57: Attitudes toward media content, by age, December 2019
Path-to-Purchase Media Behavior
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- Television grabs attention, personalized and engaging ads drive familiarity
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- Figure 58: Path-to-purchase media behavior, December 2019
- Young Black adults show greater consumer reaction across more media
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- Figure 59: Path-to-purchase media behavior, by age group, December 2019
- Black parents open to information more likely to react to advertising
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- Figure 60: Path-to-purchase media behavior, by parental status, December 2019
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 61: Cable and satellite household subscribers, by total and Black, 2015-19
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- Figure 62: Video streaming service use, top five streaming services, by total and Black, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 63: Video streamed or downloaded services, 2015-19
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- Figure 64: Top 10 cable networks, by total and Black, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 65: Online activities, media, by total and Black, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 66: Digital music services used and pay subscriptions, by total and Black, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 67: Attitudes toward media and advertising, by total and Black, October 2018-December 2019
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