Brands respecting cultural nuance isn’t just good marketing, it’s driving effective strategies on where and how to show up and delivering bottom line impact. With an inclusive approach and a data-driven strategy, diving deeper into Black audience trends can be a guidepost to where the culture and the market are headed. 

For example, Black audiences are 4x more likely than the average consumer to be very interested in The WNBA.¹ As the growth of women’s sports’ audience engagement and sponsorship value continue to rise, so has the price point for brand investment according to Nielsen Sports. 

With a projected buying power of $2.1 trillion in 2026, Black consumers deliver significant economic impact.² Paired with an appetite for media engagement, Black America also represents one of the most addressable audiences across the media landscape. 67% of Black consumers agree they pay more attention to brands that reflect their culture compared to 46% overall.³

The Digital Disconnect

In the retail category alone, Nielsen Ad Intel data shows half of ad spend goes to digital channels. Black consumers are a key audience online, averaging two hours more a week with digital media than the total audiences.⁴ However, the ads Black consumers encounter don’t always connect. 64% of Black audiences agree they want more representation in ads on social media and 61% on websites.⁵

Blurred lines of content, creators platforms and campaigns

Savvy marketers aren’t just reaching the Black consumer—they are connecting with intersectional and nuanced Black identities. Black creators are an essential piece of the strategy to dive deeper with Black Americans as audiences embrace the blurred lines across media platforms.

• Black listeners are the most likely to watch their podcasts, naming YouTube as the platform they use most often to tune in.⁶
• 70% of Black Gamers are more likely to watch a show due to favorite creators’ involvement vs 62% of Gamers overall⁷
• Black American listeners are 32% more likely to listen to podcasts hosted by a radio personality.⁸

The impact of creators to connect and drive action

The inclusive creator approach is not just driving content engagement. Black consumers are also more likely to take action. 52% of Black audiences agreed they’re more likely to purchase when a brand partners with creators, personalities, or organizations connected to their fandoms and interests compared to 45% overall.⁹ That number climbs even higher when you look at different Black identities within the community.

Keep in mind that Black consumers are often looking for brand alignment before buying a brand and the same rings true for Black creators evaluating partnerships. More than half of self-identified, Black content creators have actively changed buying habits with a brand because of its values or actions. Overall, 70% of Black consumers now report they will stop buying from brands perceived as devaluing their community—up from 66% in 2023.¹⁰ This makes measuring outcomes like attention and sentiment as essential for advertisers to understand impact. 

Connect with the culture to earn spend 

No matter the platform or messenger, Black consumers are prioritizing their dollars and their attention where they feel seen, heard and valued. But the foresight of where their focus is headed next—and why—can help content developers and brands meet the evolving expectations of Black audiences to win with them long term.

For more detailed insights on ways to connect with the Black audience, download our 2026 Diversity Intelligence Series report: The Black influence How Black culture & identity drive the market. 

Sources

¹ Nielsen Scarborough USA+ 2025
² Selig Center for Economic Growth
³  Nielsen Attitudes on Representation Study, 2025
⁴ Nielsen Black Diverse Intelligence Series, 2025
⁵ Nielsen Attitudes on Representation Study, 2025
⁶  Nielsen Scarborough Podcast Recontact Study, 2025
⁷  Nielsen Advanced Audience Attitudes Study, 2025
⁸  Nielsen Scarborough Podcast Recontact Study, 2025
⁹  Nielsen Advanced Audience Attitudes Study, 2025

The post The loyalty-building advantages of embracing Black audiences appeared first on Nielsen.

The Black influence

How Black culture & identity drive the market

Black consumers are sending a clear signal to businesses that want to leverage their buying power, influence, and brand loyalty. Get the key insights into Black consumer trends that brands need to know to win over Black audiences in 2026 and beyond.

Download now

The Black influence

How Black culture & identity drive the market

Black consumers are sending a clear signal to businesses that want to leverage their buying power, influence, and brand loyalty. Get the key insights into Black consumer trends that brands need to know to win over Black audiences in 2026 and beyond.

Download now

Nielsen’s research confirms that when brands commit to inclusive strategies, informed representation, and powerful storytelling, marketers move beyond simple transactions to generate a profound, emotional connection that cements lasting trust and long-term loyalty.

Inside the 2026 Black DIS Report, you’ll discover four opportunity areas: 

Informed representation matters most

The demand for authenticity has never been higher. Black audiences are more than twice as likely to rank authentic and accurate representation of their race or ethnicity as the strongest motivation to engage with new content.

The unique nature and shifting attention of Black audiences

Live viewing and real-time social media engagement are strong characteristics of Black audiences, averaging nearly five hours more of Live TV than most U.S. viewers. And Black America is fueling growth across the media landscape including a 135% increase in Black heavy podcast listeners.

Black fans are a force across sports

Where Black sports fans can be found and how they engage is evolving. And while Black sports fans are serious about supporting brand sponsors, brands need to be informed, intentional, and purposeful in how they activate in order to benefit.

Winning Black audiences by engaging individual passions and identities

Black audiences are bringing unique perspectives to the individualized passions that fuel today’s subcultures—such as food, travel, reality TV, gaming, and anime. These groups are highly engaged and embrace brands associated with the content and creators they follow.

Access advanced insights for 2026

Download now

The post The Black influence: How Black culture & identity drive the market appeared first on Nielsen.

The show also exemplified America’s interest and fascination with the brave men and women who serve our country. From Band of Brothers to The Pacific. From Seal Team to The Unit to J.A.G to the whimsical Hogan’s Heroes, military-themed television shows have been a staple for as long as the medium existed.  

The storylines in military-themed shows have run the gamut from shining a light on incredible acts of bravery to humanizing moments of tragic loss. Today, content that centers military service ranges from creators across social media to best-selling video games. They have provided laughter and tears—and brought us closer to the people behind the uniform. Television has had the unique ability to bring the military into our living room, outside of the news, in a way that can change one’s perception of who they are and what they do. And most certainly, they have given us new appreciation of veterans. 
There are approximately 16 million veterans in the U.S. They are our neighbors, our friends and our co-workers. But the unique cultures and connection points of veterans and military families are often overlooked when it comes to advertisers. This despite the fact that veterans possess tremendous buying power and are vociferous consumers of televised entertainment.

For example, according to Nielsen Scarborough, veterans are 19% more likely than the national average to subscribe to a live TV streaming service. The data also shows that 65% have viewed broadcast TV in the past week while 66% have viewed cable TV in the past week.

Not surprisingly, veterans are also big consumers of electronics to enable their consumption of content. Nielsen data shows veterans have spent $1.7 billion on televisions in the past 12 months and more than $2 billion on other consumer electronics. But it doesn’t stop there. 

Veterans’ major spending is concentrated in areas related to establishing long-term stability—housing, furnishing and technology—underscoring their investment in their civilian lives.

Advertisers should absolutely take note. After all, the U.S. Census Bureau reported the median household income in 2024 was $83,730 while the average veteran household income is considerably more at $115,139.

Nielsen data further reveals that veterans spent $6.8 billion on purchases made on the internet in the last 12 months. Displaying their handiness around the house, veterans shelled out more than $10.7 billion on all home improvements in the past 12 months, and more than $2.1 billion was spent on furniture purchases. 

Also of note in the study, veterans are 22% more likely to work at home and 19% more likely to be a small business owner. Their strong family life is evident, as they are 23% more likely to own a dog. This means that marketers have a golden opportunity to target this group with small office/home office products, business software, and, naturally, pet food and services. 

As television ratings can attest, we have collectively been fascinated with the military for generations. But when it comes to veterans, we often overlook marketing to them, despite their tremendous buying power and consumption of content. After all veterans have given, they are  a population certainly worth serving. 

Learn more about Nielsen Scarborough, and explore our Diverse Audience Reports available for purchase now. 

The post Why advertisers can’t overlook the buying power of veterans appeared first on Nielsen.

Asian American consumers: the trend accelerators

The next wave of mainstream trends is already visible if you know where to look. Nielsen’s 2025 “Breakthrough ROI” report shows that Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) audiences serve as cultural accelerators, offering a preview of broader U.S. consumer behavior.

For media and advertising leaders, this represents a fundamental shift: global cultural awareness isn’t an asset anymore—it’s table stakes.

For example, in recent years, K-pop hits have topped U.S. music charts and streaming platforms have made popular Asian media like anime more accessible. As the fastest-growing population in the U.S., Asian Americans—many of whom have family and friends abroad—are leading these trends in the U.S. 

The Singles’ Day case study: when niche becomes mainstream

Consider Singles’ Day. Born in the 1990s as a playful anti-Valentine’s Day among Chinese college students, it’s now a $150 billion commerce phenomenon that dwarfs Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. 

We’ve seen this velocity in cultural migration happen before: K-beauty redefined skincare routines globally. Bubble tea became ubiquitous. Anime aesthetics influence everything from fashion to film. Labubu collectibles went from Shanghai stores to infiltrating Hollywood.

Each began as a localized cultural moment. Each became a global business opportunity. And each followed the same pathway: digital-native communities discovered, amplified and exported these trends through social platforms and creator networks.

Digital fluency as a leading indicator:

AANHPI consumers spend 53% of their TV time streaming versus 44% for the total U.S. population, with nearly 20% on YouTube, double the national average. They’re 9% more likely to engage with retail media ads and +8% more likely to rely on social content for purchase decisions.

Creator-driven discovery:

They’re 15% more likely to discover brands through social media advertising, and  one-in-five say retail media is a helpful source for new product discovery. Among podcast listeners, AANHPI audiences deliver 80% unaided brand recall for CPG advertising, significantly above the 59% U.S. benchmark.

By understanding the cultural nuances that resonate with AANHPI consumers, brands can position themselves to create leading-edge marketing that appeals to the broader U.S. market. The what, where and how Asian Americans connect with brands and media isn’t just about the AANHPI community; it’s about understanding the future of the U.S. consumer market.

Global fluency equals cultural currency

Brands that project a global perspective signal creativity, confidence, and relevance. They feel cooler and more connected because they participate in a shared cultural conversation rather than recycling traditional conventions. It’s about recognizing that cultural innovation increasingly originates from multicultural communities that bridge local and global contexts.

The target audiences that once seemed homogeneous are no longer so. They blend New York streetwear, K-beauty skincare, Japanese gaming and Indian cuisine—often in the same scroll. For them, culture is not segmented by geography but synthesized through digital life. 

Singles’ Day shows what happens when brands recognize global cues early: they create anticipation, connect emotionally, and grow not by shouting louder, but by resonating wider. 

Strategic implications for media leaders

Brands that still treat multicultural engagement as a seasonal strategy rather than a standing capability will miss not just cultural moments, but market momentum.

Treat multicultural audiences as trend forecasters:

In the U.S., Asian American, Hispanic and Black consumers aren’t peripheral segments; they’re predictive models for mainstream cultural and commerce evolution.

Design for global shareability:

Create campaigns with cross-cultural touchpoints. Whether it’s an 11.11 activation, Lunar New Year moment, or Asian creator collaboration, these signals demonstrate cultural intelligence.

Partner with cultural bridges:

Collaborate with creators who navigate both local authenticity and global relevance. They provide early access to emerging cultural spaces while ensuring genuine engagement.

The competitive reality

In an attention economy where cultural relevance determines brand consideration, being globally fluent isn’t optional but it’s foundational. The next Singles’ Day is already emerging from communities that connect America to the world.

The question isn’t whether global trends will influence your audience, it’s whether you’ll recognize and respond to them early enough to matter. What separates market leaders from followers is the ability to see cultural signals and act with data, not instinct. 

In a world of infinite cultural access, there is no excuse for being culturally late. 

To learn more about how AANHPI audiences are driving larger cultural trends, download our “Breakthrough ROI” report.

The post From k-pop to Singles’ Day: The new data of cultural relevance appeared first on Nielsen.

Understanding today’s complex media consumer habits means that advertisers need more granular data to stay informed and reach the right audiences.

The Record is a quarterly report card on how U.S. consumers spend their listening day, fueled by Nielsen and Edison Research. While advertisers are constantly tracking changes in consumer behavior to improve the impact of their cross-channel marketing, The Record helps cut through with a unique representation of the time spent with ad supported audio.

So how have audio listening habits shifted in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the second? Let’s dig into the data.

The Q3 audio overview

Daily audio consumption amounted to 3 hours and 53 minutes of daily listening across both ad supported and ad free platforms like radio, podcasts, streaming music services and satellite radio. In the third quarter of 2025, ad supported audio accounted for 64% of all listening.

Zeroing in on the ad supported audio universe, consumers spent 62% of their daily time in the third quarter with radio, 20% with podcasts, 15% with streaming music and 3% with satellite radio.

For advertisers planning for audio marketing campaigns, it is important to consider that 82% of all daily ad supported audio time goes to radio and podcasts, while only 15% goes to streaming music services.

A quarterly snapshot: Edison Research Share of Ear®

This chart shows how U.S. audiences spent their time with ad supported audio in Q3 2025. 

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables here.

Tracking radio listening by format

The following tables detail how the share of radio audience varies by format, age, demographic and platform for the top 15 largest-reaching AM/FM radio formats. These differentiate between the share of all radio listening and the share of streaming listening specifically, which are those listening to the digital streams of AM/FM radio stations. 

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables here. 

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables here. 

Get the latest audio insights

As the data continues to demonstrate, radio commands the majority of U.S. consumers audio listening time, with the widest reach across different audience segments. Explore more consumer insights from our latest Network Audio Today report, including how national radio stands out as an attractive option for advertisers with more than 93% of radio listeners tuning to a network-affiliated station every week.

The Record provides a quarterly analysis of audio listening behaviors across the total radio universe. The charts represent average daily usage and share of listening for U.S. audiences. 
For even more audio data and insights, explore our audio measurement solutions and connect with our team of experts.

The post The Record: Q3 U.S. audio listening trends appeared first on Nielsen.

2025 Diverse Intelligence Series

How Hispanic consumers are influencing the media landscape

Hispanic audiences are taking control of the way they shape their own media experiences, driving trends and redefining how content is created and consumed. As this powerful consumer group adapts and evolves, there are opportunities for brands and advertisers to leverage.

Download the report

Download the report

Download the report

Creating personalized experiences

In this year’s report, we examined three ways Hispanic audiences are widely influencing media consumption trends shaped by their cultures and
communities:

Media curators

Hispanic audiences are selective about where and how they’re spending their
time with media.

Algorithm influencers

Hispanic consumers are leaning into apps and platforms to create unique digital
experiences.

Soccer champions

Hispanic soccer fans in the U.S. are leading the hype ahead of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup™ and the Men’s FIFA World Cup™ in 2026.

Navigating  pathways to connect

Findings from this diverse intelligence report go beyond understanding traditional consumption metrics. Discover how Hispanic audiences are reshaping the industry as trendsetters, curators and creators.

Download the report

The post How Hispanic consumers are influencing the media landscape appeared first on Nielsen.

Compared to May, June saw a 27% increase in impressions among kids 6-17 in the U.S. across all sources, and though the rising tide lifted all boats, it was the “Other” category that saw the biggest bump on a percentage basis (41%). A significant contributor to that lift was game console usage, which itself was up 32% month-over-month. Beyond console usage, the category also includes streaming via cable set top box and security camera hookups from the home.

But while the Other category may have seen the biggest number on a percentage basis, streaming is a much bigger chunk of kids’ TV diet—the biggest, in fact. Streaming was up 25% in June, and we decided to take a closer look at what these young viewers were spending time with in the streaming world. 

Coming out on top among 6-17 year-olds was Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, which released its long-awaited third season on June 5th. Importantly, it was the teen (12-17) portion of that age range that really drove the viewing for the dramedy, accounting for 74% of its 1.4 billion minute total. Younger viewers, on the other hand, helped give Bluey the number two spot across the full 6-17 span. Notably, Ginny & Georgia was also the number one show among adults 18+ in June.

Another Netflix title, Stranger Things, got an immediate boost after the streamer announced its release plans for the fifth and final season. It ranked eighth overall among 6-17 year-olds, with teens contributing 77% of its minutes. But it was Peacock’s Love Island (ninth among 6-17s and fourth among teens) that had the biggest contribution from the elder half of the school-age group, at 90%. Considering teens are among the lightest TV viewers, the fact that Love Island is a social media sensation likely had a serious impact here.

Young Sheldon on Max and Netflix was the only other non-animated property to make the top 10, with younger viewers driving more of the viewing. Kids 12-17 made up around 47% of viewing for the show.  

Shifting to animation, one has to marvel at the staying power of Spongebob Squarepants, a show that is now 26 years old but consistently ranks high among kids and adults alike thanks to Paramount+ (for proof, look no further than our analysis of Dads’ viewing habits). It was the fourth most-streamed show in June among kids 6-17 with over 800 million viewing minutes, and also made the top 20 among adults 18+. And, the series’ 16th season only premiered at the very end of June, so we can expect even more watch time throughout the summer.

In addition to Bluey, Disney has two other shows make the top 10 among school-aged kids 6-17, starting with the recently revived Phineas & Ferb. Only a handful of new episodes came out in June, but it was a big enough boost to get the show to number five with 748 million minutes. The other entry was The Amazing World of Gumball (ranked sixth with 626 million minutes), which was originally a Cartoon Network property, but was licensed by Hulu a few years ago. Now, the streamer is queuing up a continuation series—dubbed The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball—which will debut at the end of this month. That may well have had something to do with the show’s resurgence in June.

Rounding out the top 10 was a property with roots that go even farther back than Spongebob: Alvin! and the Chimpmunks (466 million minutes). This particular iteration is a French production that started back in 2015, but the show is currently available on Netflix and The Roku Channel. Perhaps the idea of young music groups making it big has taken on a new significance in an age where TikTok is the go-to source for emerging talent.

For more information on streaming trends in the U.S., check out our weekly Streaming Top 10 lists and learn more about Nielsen’s streaming measurement solutions.  

The post School’s out and the TV’s on: What kids in the U.S. watched in June appeared first on Nielsen.

The Record is a quarterly report card on how U.S. consumers spend their listening day, fueled by Nielsen and Edison Research. While advertisers are constantly tracking changes in consumer behavior to improve the impact of their cross-channel marketing, The Record helps cut through with a unique representation of the time spent with ad supported audio.

So how have audio listening habits shifted in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the first? Let’s dig into the data.

The Q2 audio overview

Daily audio consumption amounted to 3 hours and 50 minutes of daily listening across both ad supported and ad free platforms like radio, podcasts, streaming music services and satellite radio.

In the second quarter of 2025, ad supported audio accounted for 64% of all listening, while in the TV landscape, 74% of viewing was done on ad supported platforms.

Zeroing in on the ad supported audio universe, consumers spent 64% of their daily time in the second quarter with radio, 19% with podcasts, 14% with streaming audio services and 3% with satellite radio.

Radio accounts for anywhere from 45% of daily ad supported audio time among people 18-34 to 71% among 35+. Meanwhile, podcasts skew the other way, representing 15% of daily audio time for people 35 and older compared with 32% among those 18-34. 

A quarterly snapshot: Edison Research Share of Ear®

This chart shows how Americans spent their time with ad supported audio in Q2 2025.

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables here.

Tracking radio listening by format

The following tables detail how the share of radio audience varies by format, age, demographic and platform for the top 15 largest-reaching AM/FM radio formats. These differentiate between the share of all radio listening and the share of streaming listening specifically, which are those listening to the digital streams of AM/FM radio stations.

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables here.

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables here.

Strength of audio channels in Q2

With broad reach and ample ad space, it’s not surprising that audio remains a critical part of the media mix for companies with varying budget sizes. 

As we continue to see quarter over quarter, audio formats can have powerful reach with audiences of different demographics.

In fact, data suggests that advertisers are likely missing out on highly effective audio channels due to inaccurate perceptions and biases. Results from Nielsen’s 2025 Global Annual Marketing Survey and Nielsen Global Compass Benchmarks shows radio having the second highest ROI globally (just behind social media), despite being often overlooked and undervalued.

The Record provides a quarterly analysis of audio listening behaviors across the total radio universe. The charts represent average daily usage and share of listening for U.S. audiences. 

For even more audio data and insights, explore our audio measurement solutions and connect with our team of experts.

The post The Record: Q2 U.S. audio listening trends appeared first on Nielsen.

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