Latinos More Likely to Have Multiple Cable / Satellite Services

By Insight Tr3s

We know that Hispanics are big TV viewers – but what do their TV set-ups look like at home? Tr3s’s new study, “Hispanic Adults 18-34 Living ‘The Next Normal’” has some revealing insights about what services they subscribe to and what kind of TVs they prefer. Here is a summary:

Bicultural Hispanics 18 to 29 are more than twice as likely as their non-Hispanic peers to have multiple cable/satellite providers.
• 26% of bicultural Hispanic 18-29s subscribe to more than one cable/satellite provider, compared with 12% of non-Hispanic 18-29s
• 18% of foreign-born Hispanic thirty-somethings have multiple cable/satellite providers

Those with more than one cable/satellite provider are most likely to have made that choice to satisfy the diverse viewing preferences of their household.
• Among Hispanics 18-39 overall, the main reason for choosing multiple providers is “to get the channels everyone wants”
• Non-Hispanics 18-29 also want to accomodate diverse viewing preferences in their households — and they have an equally strong desire to have a backup in case one system goes out

From streaming subscriptions to multiple cable providers, Hispanics 18 to 39 are seeking content from a number of sources and in many configurations.
• Nearly 6 in 10 Hispanics 18-39 have streaming subscriptions such as Netflix
• Close to 4 in 10 Hispanics 18-39 use devices like Slingbox to watch TV on other platforms (laptop, tablet, smartphone) – more than non-Hispanic 18-29s (20%)
• About 1 in 10 Hispanics 18-39 use a streaming player like Roku or Google TV (compared with 5% of non-Hispanic 18-29s)
• 16% of bicultural Hispanics 18-29 have streaming subscriptions and more than one cable provider – more than foreign-born Hispanic 30-39s (11%) and non-Hispanic 18-29s (6%)

Bicultural Hispanics 18 to 29 like big TVs, spend a lot of money to buy them, and prefer Samsung.
• 31% of bicultural Hispanics 18-29 have a TV that’s 50 inches or larger – and they’re more likely to have a big set than non-Hispanics 18-29 (26%) and foreign-born Hispanics in their thirties (20%)
• Hispanics and non-Hispanics 18-29 spend an average of $1,107 on their TVs – compared with $684 among foreign-born Hispanic thirty-somethings
• Samsung is the #1 television brand among bicultural Hispanics 18-29 — while Sony is the top choice of foreign-born Hispanics in their thirties and non-Hispanics 18-29

Source: Tr3s Ipsos-OTX 2012, Experian Simmons Summer 2012 12-month NCHS

This article was first published in Tr3s.