Black audiences spend 32 hours on apps and websites on their smartphones and tablets—two hours more than the total U.S. population, according to the latest exclusive Nielsen’s Diverse Intelligence Series report Connecting with Black America: How brands impact, grow and win with inclusion. As Black consumers continue to be digital trendsetters, brands’ must finetune their approach to engaging with this audience in order to drive long-term connections.

Brands’ must finetune their approach to engaging with Black audiences in order to drive long-term connections.

“Reaching Black consumers may not be a challenge—but connecting with us can be. Black consumers are leaning into platforms that emphasize conversation and create a sense of connection,” says Charlene Polite Corley, Vice President of Diverse Insights & Partnerships. “To win with this community who wields $2 trillion in buying power, brands must prioritize engagement strategies that center diverse Black experiences and cultural nuances.” With the growing diversity of audiences and media platforms, Nielsen’s approach—big data verified and enhanced by robust panels—helps marketers understand what and where diverse audiences are consuming content.

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Social media apps have become a haven for Black consumers – Black adults overall spend more time scrolling than their peers. Black millennials (between 18 and 34-years-old) spend the most time on social media among all adults by almost an hour per week. Black adults also have high engagement with radio and podcasts. Radio averages the same as TV in weekly reach with Black adults – each medium reaches 27 million Black adults on average.

Black audiences continue to be power TV viewers, spending 46 hours and 13 minutes per week watching TV, compared to almost 35 hours for the total U.S. population. 46% of that time is spent on streaming, which is gaining share year-over-year with Black adults. YouTube is the top platform—where Black audiences spend 13% of their total TV time, compared to 10% for all U.S. viewers. In fact, YouTube reaches 63% of Black adults and 44% report that they have purchased products based on YouTube content. The preference for YouTube as a source outpaces word of mouth, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

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Other digital platforms also offer the conversations and commentary that influence Black consumers’ purchasing decisions. 63% say they’re more likely to evaluate a new brand based on a social media ad or content, compared with 58% overall. In addition, podcasts drive powerful connections: 73% of Black listeners were able to recall a brand name after ad exposure compared to 70% overall.

Black sports fans offer brands a new opportunity to turn fan loyalty into brand loyalty. For women’s basketball, with Black talent like Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson attracting interest, viewership hit record highs. Between 2023 and 2024, Black viewership increased 161% for the WNBA All-Star Game, 227% for the WNBA Draft and 51% for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. This engagement is likely to drive sales: Black fans are 7% more likely than all sports fans to buy a brand after seeing its sponsorship activations.