Ethnic Growth of US TV Households Continues According to Nielsen

Implications: Nielsen has released new data on audiences and TV households as the 2008-2009 television season begins as of 9/1/2008.

Analysis: According to new data from Nielsen, the U. S. base of TV households has grown by another 1.5%, with the new universe at 114.5 million HH.  The number of TV HH always increases each year due to a number of sociological factors (marriages, young people leaving homes, divorce, etc.).

Ethnic households show the strongest growth, led by Asian Americans at 4.4% and Hispanics just behind at 4.3%, but the actual number of Hispanic households at 12.6 million are three times as large as the Asian HH at 4.7 million.  As we know, the Hispanic numbers do not represent all the potential Hispanic HH in this country due to undocumented audience members.  African-American households are estimated to grow 2.2% to just over 13 million.

Another interesting finding, for the first time in 20 years none of the top 20 market rankings have changed.  Over the past two decades many sun belt markets broke in to the top 20 as the country experienced population shifts.

We've seen marketers pour more money in to ethnic marketing, especially for Latinos and Hispanics over the last decade.  This recent data shows this segment remains strong and viable in terms of household growth and will continue to represent opportunities to develop new consumers.