The Global Black Audience
Nielsen 2024 Diverse Intelligence Series 2024 Diverse Intelligence Series
Originally published on Nielsen Insights
Shaping the future of media
Black America continues to diversify, and media will need to evolve to stay relevant for this media-hungry audience with a global influence on trends and culture.
The globalization of Black America
Black America is complex, but immigration trends will add to that complexity. As the diversity of this population grows, the media industry will need to focus on authenticity and accurate representations to maintain this audience’s high engagement with content.
- 18%: The U.S. Black population is projected to grow from 15% today to 18% by 2060
- 3X: The African-born U.S. population has grown 3x in the past 20 years
- 67%: Two out of three Black Americans want to see more representation of their identity group on screen
The role of media in culture
This report highlights the significant amount of engagement Black America has with media, as well as this diversifying audience’s perspective on representation in content and advertising. Key sections include:
Black audiences are power TV users
- Black adults spend 31.8% more time with TV each week than the general U.S. population.
The state of representation on TV
- Representation is a key driver of media engagement. Black talent on TV has never been more visible, but the numbers—and audience demand—suggest there’s room for even more. Our most recent study found that 70% of Black LGBTQ+ respondents and 66% of Black men often feel misrepresented in media.
TV content is a global affair
- While representation and diversity dimensions vary across providers, audiences stay engaged when they find what they’re looking for. Engagement with Blood Sisters and Far From Home, for example, reflect Netflix’s investment in Nollywood.
Brand strategies for relevance and inclusion
- Meaningful engagement requires more than simply understanding where content is being consumed. Dimensions of diversity matter. Our most recent study found that almost 36% of Black audiences believe brands portray all Black people the same in advertising.
The Black audience insights you need
At its core, media is a means of connecting. The stronger the connection, the greater the engagement. Download The global Black audience: Shaping the future of media report to understand how you can evolve to better engage this audience and how to capitalize on it.
Download the Nielsen 2024 Diverse Intelligence Series report: The Global Black Audience here.
Data sources: U.S. Census; Pew Research Center; Nielsen Black Diaspora Study, powered by Toluna
