According to the study, Black audiences are some of the most passionate viewers of television content, with 40% of Black respondents saying they are "really into TV" compared to 33% of total urban respondents. Consistent with previous years, Blacks also spend the most time watching TV content, with 39% reporting watching six or more hours per day.
"To date, cord-cutting has not had as big an impact on the pay TV business as many feared," notes Adriana Waterston, Horowitz's SVP, Marketing and Business Development, "but technology is a bigger disruptor among multicultural audiences, who tend to be early—and enthusiastic—adopters."
Blacks continue to be at the leading edge of new viewing technologies, with 36% of Black viewers saying new technologies are enabling them to watch more TV than ever before. Furthermore, Black viewers report spending 23% of their TV viewing time streaming content. In contrast, White viewers report spending 18% of their TV time streaming. View chart.
Black multichannel subscribers are twice as likely as Whites to report being likely to cancel their TV service in the next six months (20% vs. 10%). Findings suggest that a greater reliance on new video technologies, rather than a lack of interest in TV, may be a contributing factor. While Blacks who are likely to cord-cut report being "really into TV" at the same rate as total Blacks, these potential cord-cutters spend a higher percentage of their viewing time on alternative platforms (28%). View chart.
"The variety of consumer choices today is a game-changer," asserts Waterston. "As online on-demand viewing becomes increasingly normalized and expected, MVPDs will need to focus on proving the value proposition of pay TV to retain their most valuable, tech-forward customers."
FOCUS African America is conducted among urban heads of household who are TV viewers. The 2014 edition is now available.
