African-American Millenials Consume Less TV Than Their Boomer Elders

The average African-American viewer watches nearly seven hours of television daily, almost 2.5 more hours per day than the average viewer in the U.S., according to the new Nielsen report, African-Americans: Still Vital, Still Growing. This fact should pique the attention of marketers and advertisers alike, particularly considering that, in 2012, the African-American population in the U.S. reached almost 43 million and continues to grow at more than one-and-a-half times the pace of the general population.

Between generations, however, TV viewership among African-Americans is deeply incongruent. African-American Baby Boomers (45-64 years old) spend 7 hours and 53 minutes daily watching live TV, while their younger Generation Y counterparts (18-34 years old) spend almost two-and-a-half hours less time viewing live content (5H:12M). This divide makes sense when you consider the myriad new and ever-expanding viewing options that the traditionally more tech-savvy Gen Y has, at their fingertips.

In fact, 31 percent of Black adults watch online video content and almost 48 percent of Black viewers’ time spent is on YouTube alone. The mobile category could also be playing a role, as smartphone penetration among African-Americans has blossomed from 33 percent to more than 54 percent in the last year. In addition, African-Americans use their mobile devices to download and view videos at a rate 30 percent higher than the general population.