Nielson study finds Latinos more likely to binge a show when it has Hispanic representation

A recent Nielsen study has found that hiring Hispanic talent both in front and behind the camera in streaming programs has a direct correlation with how likely Latina viewers are to binge these shows.

The study – the first of its kind – looked at the 530 most-streamed programs in the U.S. from 2021 along with the first quarter of 2022 to understand what leads to binge watching and cultural relevance.

For shows that had Hispanic talent working as part of the crew, cultural relevance averaged 25.2%, regardless of on-camera representation. In instances where a shot included both Hispanic talent as part of the crew and with a camera facing role, cultural relevance increased to 34.2%.

The report’s data also found that Hispanic representation can also dictate how many TV show episodes audiences watch per day to quantify viewer interest to take in several episodes in a row.

Shows that had camera facing Hispanic talent were binge watched at a higher level. When looking at top content which can be binge watched (a score of 3 or more), Hispanic talent makes a significant contribution. 56 of the 134 programs with a score of 3 or higher featured Hispanic representation.

Of the streaming programs which fall into the category that could be binge watched of 2021, half of these included Hispanic talent.

“It’s clear that inclusion plays a significant role in bingeability and cultural watchability in content for Latinos,” said Stacie de Armas Nielsen’s SVP of Diverse Insights and Initiatives. “Also significant is that Latino-led content not only serves Latino audiences but attracts new viewers and subscribers to platforms, who stay longer and consume more content, which goes to show the power of Latino-led content.”

The report also found that shows led by Latino talent enhanced the value of the streaming platforms as new audiences came to watch those programs, rather than watch more than the program that originally attracted them to the platform. 58% of the new audiences attracted to these Latino-inclusive casts and productions were not Hispanic.