Los Angeles, CA, Wednesday, April 2, 2025 – Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates as he approaches home plate after hitting a game-winning, walk off homer to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-5 at Dodger Stadium,.
Robert Gauthier | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Asian Americans are making up a bigger share of live sports viewership than ever before, according to a report from Nielsen.
The Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, or AANHPI, audience spends 15% more time viewing live sports than the general public, Nielsen reported Wednesday.
In general, live sports draw the largest audiences for both traditional TV and streaming platforms. As more consumers shift to streaming, the pay TV bundle has dwindled. More sports content than ever is now available on streamers, in some cases exclusively.
As a result, advertisers are increasingly spending more on live sports rather than other content on TV and streaming platforms. The rise in Asian American consumption across various forms of media is a signal to advertisers and marketers that this is a key demographic to cater to, according to the Nielsen report.
“As digital media and commerce evolve, Asian American consumers are leading the charge, embracing interactive and shoppable ad experiences at higher rates than the general population,” said Stacie de Armas, senior vice president of diverse insights & intelligence at Nielsen, in the release. “Marketers who recognize the importance of cultural connection in their digital strategies will build stronger relationships with this influential and engaged audience.”
In general, AANHPI consumers are more digitally connected, Nielsen said, as they spend an average of nine hours and six minutes per week logged onto their computers, which is almost an hour more than all U.S. adults.
Since January, streaming has taken 53% of Asian Americans’ total TV time, up 45% from last year — with 20% of that viewership happening on YouTube.
These audiences also “over index the total U.S.” when it came to time spent on Netflix and Amazon, which have the highest percent of programs featuring Asian talent, according to Nielsen.
The AANHPI audience is 33% more likely to subscribe to sports-specific streaming platforms, according to Nielsen’s report. While major streaming platforms like Amazon‘s Prime Video, Netflix and others have added sports to their rosters, some services, like Disney‘s ESPN+ and direct-to-consumer counterparts of regional sports networks, are also offerings.
In particular, Nielsen said Asian American viewership spiked 146% during the 2024 World Series, which saw the Los Angeles Dodgers triumph over the New York Yankees. The Dodgers’ star Shohei Ohtani has nabbed some of the biggest audiences for baseball in both the U.S. and his home country, Japan.
The AANHPI audience’s interest in women’s basketball has also risen. The demographic’s viewership of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship was up nearly 70% year over year, while the WNBA draft rose 240%. Nielsen pointed to Natalie Nakase becoming the WNBA’s first Asian American head coach this year, and players like Te-Hina Paopao driving the audiences’ interest.
Sports podcasts are also becoming more popular with Asian American audiences, with listenership up 28% between 2022 and 2024.
