MVPD subscriptions fell by a substantial level among U.S. Hispanic households in just one year’s time, a new study from M/A/R/C-owned Horowitz Research finds.
The big result from that cord-cutting? Demand is increasing exponentially for Spanish-language content on subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms.
Indeed, MVPD penetration inclusive of cable and satellite continues to decline among U.S. Hispanics, with Horowitz’s latest report finding that 39% of U.S. Latino households subscribe.
That’s perhaps a surprise to some market observers, as many have believed Hispanic consumers overindex with MVPD subscriptions when compared to the total market. Horowitz says 48% of consumers overall pay for cable TV services.
The Hispanic subscriber slide is a new phenomenon, it seems, as the latest MVPD cable/satellite subscription results reflect a “substantial drop” from 60% in Horowitz’s 2023 survey.
Using the DEI-influenced term “Latine” (formerly “Latinx”) to describe the U.S. Hispanic population, Horowitz notes, “Being able to have access to Spanish-language content was a driver for keeping both streaming and MVPD services for Latine audiences. Today, 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.”
Horowitz’s study also indicates that 75% of Hispanic viewers it surveyed watch at least some content in Spanish, with usage spanning across acculturation segments. Some 68% and 66% of Spanish-dominant and bilingual Hispanic consumers, respectively, say that having Spanish-language content is an important consideration when choosing a TV service.
Further, the new Horowitz study shows that U.S. Hispanic content viewers are more likely to have and use subscription streaming services (78%, compared to 63% among total), free streaming services (80% among Hispanics, 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 U.S. Hispanic audiences.
Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Max are the top-used SVODs by U.S. Hispanic households; 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, EVP 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.”
