Audiences fragmented on what they want
Preferences diverge when it comes to dramas, and black viewers prefer shows featuring black characters.
Why the disparity? Analysts say that in recent years, amid dramatic growth in the amount of TV and streaming content, programmers have accelerated their diversification efforts, targeting narrower niches.
African Americans watch far more TV than any other group — nearly 44 hours a week last fall, Nielsen says — while Asian Americans watch the least ( less than 15 hours).
“The population has become much more diverse, so networks have targeted specific groups with shows they think they’ll watch,” says media consultant Brad Adgate.
In a fragmented media environment with fewer hits, “If you can create a TV show that really resonates with a specific ethnic group, you can aggregate a largeenough audience within that group to make it a successful show” with help from social- media sharing, says Chris Fosdick, a principal at Cambridge Group, a Nielsen- owned consultancy.
Reality shows such as NBC’s America’s Got Talent, inherently diverse, tend to be more popular across different viewer segments.
But preferences diverge when it comes to dramas, and black viewers pre- fer shows featuring black characters such as ABC’s Scandal and Fox’s Lethal Weapon. WWE wrestling series disproportionately rank among top choices for Hispanics, and AMC’s martial- arts drama Into the Badlands ranks high for Hispanics and Asians.
About 81% of viewers for VH1’ s toprated Love & Hip Hop are black. In contrast, just 13% of The Bachelorette’s audience is black, though that’s still nearly double last year’s 7%.