Before attempting to penetrate a new market, one needs to understand the media landscape in which they operate. This is especially true for such a large and dynamic media ecosystem as the United States. Let’s take a look at the drivers and developing trends in the current American media landscape.
The Rising Power of mobile media
As of 2021, Americans spend around 11.1 hours a day consuming media, a 20.2% increase from 2011. Mobile use has been the major driver of this uptick in media consumption, as we have seen a dramatic shift away from traditional media sources such as TV, radio and print media.
Every aforementioned category of media consumption, along with desktop media has shrunk from their respective peaks. In the meantime, mobile media consumption rose by 460% from 2011 to 2021, from an average of 45 minutes a day to 252 minutes.
The age of TV streaming is upon us
As stated in Attest’s U.S. Media Consumption Report for 2021, the proportion of Americans who stream TV daily from online platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime (82.8%), have surpassed those who watch traditional live broadcast TV (81%).
While Americans are pivoting away from live TV, this shift is still largely along generational lines. While Millennials and Gen Z tend to consume more through mobile devices, Baby Boomers and Gen Xers still regularly consume media through broadcast television.
54% of boomers, and 44% of Gen Xers still watch 3+ hours of broadcast TV a day, falling to 35% for millennials and 20% for Gen Z. Conversely, 44% of Gen Zers and 43% of Millennials watch 3+ hours of TV a day from streaming platforms, going down to 29% and 20% for Gen Xers and Boomers respectively.
According to Parks Associates, 46% of US homes with broadband subscribed to four or more streaming services in 2021.
Netflix has long led the pack of subscription TV streaming services, though a changing of the guard may be in order. The streaming giant reported on April 19th 2022 a loss of 200,000 customers globally, the first time they’ve incurred a loss in a decade.
(Data taken from Business of Apps)
Audio streaming has taken over the airwaves
While AM/FM radio remains common while in the car, audio streaming platforms and podcasts are becoming the norm, especially among younger generations.
The popularity of music streaming sites such as Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora and Apple Music continues to grow. 81.1% of Americans engage in music streaming daily, and a reported 82.1 million have paid subscriptions to on-demand music streaming services, up 13% from the previous year. The average American spends 75 minutes streaming music a day.
Music streaming accounts for 83% of the U.S. music industry revenue, with Spotify leading the way with 180 million subscribers (worldwide).
Info Source: Infogram
With the rise in music streaming has also come a boom in the podcast industry. In the last 5 years, podcast listening has grown by 200%, and more than one-third of U.S. adults are tuning in every month.
Social media use transcends generations
With 92.6% logging on daily, social media is the United States most popular medium by far. According to Attest’s U.S. Media Consumption Report for 2021, Gen Z leads the way in social media consumption, with 96% using social media on a daily basis. Surprisingly, the Boomer generation comes in second at 87%.
While Boomers frequent social media often, they spend considerably less time there, with only 14% spending 3+ hours per day compared to 59% for Gen Z and 33% for Millennials.
YouTube is the most popular social media platform in America, with 87% of people using it at least once a month, followed by Facebook at 82%. TikTok is the fastest growing platform, with 48% of Americans using the platform at least once a month in 2021
As distrust grows, Americans move to alternative sources for news
American news sources have changed dramatically in the last ten years. Print media especially has seen a dramatic decline, from 47% of Americans using it as a source of news in 2013, to 16% in 2021. Meanwhile, only 52% of Americans turn to TV for their news, down from 72% in 2013.
Perhaps a major driver for this shift is a loss in trust in major news outlets. In a study conducted by cloud-based audience engagement company Futuri, none of the major US television networks (CBS, CNN, NBC, ABC, PBS, FOX, MSNBC, Newsmax) were trusted by more than half of the respondents, with credibility scores ranging from 30 to 47%. In another report conducted by Reuters, trust in news overall is at a dismal 29%.
More and more, American audiences are looking outside of traditional channels for their news sources. 47% of Americans look for news on Google every week. Other sources include Facebook (42%), YouTube (33%), Instagram and Twitter (both 28%). Interestingly enough, trust remains low even for alternative news sources, with 44% trusting the news they use, and only 13% trusting news from social media.
According to Futuri, only 19% of Americans access national digital subscription news websites such as the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and Wallstreet Journal. Adding to that, according to Attest’s report, 67% of Americans claim to not have any paid-for news media content subscriptions.
Despite the low numbers, trends are telling a different story. In 2020 the New York Times attracted a record 2.3 million digital-only subscribers and saw digital revenue overtake print revenue for the first time. The Washington Post is also growing fast- with subscribership reaching nearly 3 million, the news platform announced it would add 150 jobs in 2021.
How can iSpider Media help?
The United States has a very dynamic and quickly evolving media landscape. Knowledge of the market helps, but penetrating the American market requires a well-planned strategy.
Having an international PR and marketing agency like iSpider Media by your side can help your brand break into the world’s biggest market. Our team can research your target audience and American market environment, to help craft a PR strategy that works within the United States’ media ecosystem.
References:
- Visual Capitalist, How Media Consumption Has Changed Over the Last Decade (2011-2021)
- Attest, A quick look at US media consumption habits in 2021
- MassMedia, Media Consumption Habits Across Generations
- Bloomberg, Everything You Need to Know About Netflix’s Big Miss
- Collage Group, Media Consumption Across Generations
- Musical Pursuits, Music Streaming Statistics in 2022 (US & Global Data)
- Infogram, Music Sales Marketshare
- Adweek, 3 Trends That Are Shifting the State of Audio
- Post Media Solutions, 6 Digital Audio Trends for 2022
- Reuters Institute, 2021 Digital News Report, United States
- Advanced Television, Study: Tectonic shifts in US media consumption
