Asian Americans Lead in Digital Streaming and Sports Viewing, According to Nielsen Data
LOOK AT THIS, FOLKS! let me break down the latest Nielsen report that's causing a stir: It's all about the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) consumers taking the digital world by storm!
Data shows that these peeps are eating up sports programming, watching an average of 15% more live sports than the general crowd. Plus, streaming is their jam, with more than half of their TV time spent streaming (53%!). You guessed it—YouTube's their go-to for over 20% of that streaming time.
If you're a marketer, listen up! Nielsen Senior Vice President of Diverse Insights and Intelligence Stacie M. de Armas spills the tea: "As digital media and commerce evolve, Asian American consumers are leading the charge..." In simple terms? These folks are embracing those shoppable ads and interactive digital experiences at higher rates than others.
Brands have picked up on this—with more than 83% of marketers planning to bump up their digital ad spending this year—and AANHPI audiences are proving to be a key force. In fact, they're more likely to click on social media ads and spend a whopping hour more online than the average Joe!
Sports fanatics, this is for you: Asian Americans are logging more live sports time than ever. In fact, they spend 15% more time viewing than the general public and are 33% more likely to subscribe to sports-specific streaming platforms. And, don't forget about those sports podcasts that are skyrocketing 28% between 2022 and 2024!
Here are some highlights from the big 2025 report:
- Almost 60% of AANHPI consumers expect brands to back causes they care about.
- A whopping 70% of AANHPI millennial consumers will ditch a brand if it shows disregard for their community.
- Advertisers get 80% unaided brand recall from AANHPI listeners on podcasts compared to 59% for the general public.
- AANHPI audiences aged 50-64 are 8% more likely than the general market to rely heavily on the internet to evaluate products before buying.
- AANHPI audiences are killing it on Netflix (128% share) and Prime Video (198% share), and these platforms have the most programs featuring Asian talent.
Wanna read the full report? Grab the "Breakthrough ROI: Investing in Asian American audiences and media" (don't forget to click here: www.nielsen.com/asian-american!) for even more juicy insights.
Asian American consumers are making their mark on the U.S. digital landscape, and brands that catch this wave are set to scale great heights! So let's get on board, y'all, because this Asian American revolution ain't slowing down anytime soon!
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Enrichment highlights:- Nielsen's report presents insights into AANHPI audiences across digital commerce, sports engagement, and media.- The report highlights AANHPI audiences' significant impact on streaming, beauty, and more industries.- AANHPI audiences are shaping trends with their influence on K-Pop, Bollywood, and South Asian natural hair care.- Asian athletes like Shohei Ohtani are driving up Asian American viewership in baseball.- AANHPI millennials are 70% likely to stop buying from brands that deprecate their community.
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) consumers are spending more than half (53%) of their TV time streaming video content, a far higher percentage than the general population.
- In the digital media realm, AANHPI consumers are leading the charge, with more than 83% of marketers planning to boost their digital ad spending this year.
- Sports fanatics will be interested to know that AANHPI audiences are dedicating 15% more live sports time on average than the general public, and are 33% more likely to subscribe to sports-specific streaming platforms.
- AANHPI audiences are heavily consuming digital content from platforms like Netflix (128% share) and Prime Video (198% share), which have the most programs featuring Asian talent.
