Nielsen: Asians Lead Ethnic TV Household Growth

Anytime the results of the 2010 Census are mentioned, almost reflexively the discussion revolves around the population gains made by Hispanics.

Yet a recent Nielsen report infused with Census data says that household growth among Asian-American will outpace that of Hispanics during the upcoming 2011-12 television season.  

Asian TV households in the U.S. are expected to grow 9.6 percent – or more than 400,000 homes — during the 2011-12 television season compared to the same period last year, according to Nielsen report, the first since the 2010 Census counts were released and integrated into its overall projections.

The Asian-American household growth is more than than double that of Hispanics (4.6 percent) and African American households 1.5%,

“The rapid growth of the Hispanic market has generated a number of headlines since the Census numbers were revealed, but the increase of Asian households should not be overlooked,” said Pat McDonough, Senior Vice President, Insights and Analysis, Nielsen. “The rate of change in Asian TV households outpaces that of Hispanic homes.”

Nielsen also reported that Los Angeles remains the top market for both Hispanic and Asian TV households, while New York holds onto the top spot for African-American TV homes.

Just as cable has devoted resources toward attracting Hispanic and African-American audiences, the industry should use Nielsen’s findings as an invitation to further reach out to the Asian community with targeted programming and marketing messages that cater to that fast-growing TV audience.