2026 Digital Media Trends: Capturing always-on fandom between releases and seasons

There are audiences, and there are fans. Fans represent a segment of consumers seeking long-term, consistent relationships with the intellectual property, artists, teams, and franchises they love.1 And while the media and entertainment industry is largely optimized around moments—blockbuster movie premieres, live sporting events, video game releases, and TV season launches—fandom isn’t experienced on the same schedule. Fans are willing to move across formats, platforms, and experiences during those big moments and in the “off-season,” in search of a continuity that they can’t experience otherwise. These fans may be signaling that the off-season isn’t a lull; it’s an opportunity.

Sueño Incompleto: A History of the Latino Wealth Gap in the U.S. [REPORT]

Latinos are central to the present and future of the U.S. economy. They account for nearly one fifth of the population, drive the vast majority of new workforce growth, anchor key industries, and contribute more than $4.1 trillion annually to the U.S. gross domestic product, an economy larger than that of most countries in the world. Yet these contributions have not translated into proportional financial security for Latino households.

Nielsen appoints Roberto Ruiz to lead Measurement Science

Nielsen, an audience measurement and media intelligence company, announced that it has appointed Roberto Ruiz as its new Head of Measurement Science.

Canela Media expands Canela Audience Solutions (CAS) with New Data Capabilities and Expanded Activation

Canela Media, announced the continued evolution of Canela Audience Solutions (CAS), its proprietary first-party deterministic data platform designed to help brands reach U.S. Hispanic audiences with greater precision, scale, and cultural relevance regardless of language.

U.S. Population Aging as Nation Turns 250

The nation turns 250 this year and Americans’ median age — the age at which half of the population is younger and half is older — continues to rise, climbing from 39.2 in 2024 to 39.4 in 2025.

What’s Broken in Hispanic/Latino Research and What It’s Costing Brands

Hispanic/Latino consumers are driving U.S. growth, but many research systems still flatten their complexity. Here’s where that breaks down and what that costs brands.  By Marta Villanueva - President and Founder at NuThinking, Inc.

FOR THE CULTURE: How Multicultural Gen Z Creators Are Shaping Brand Narratives. [REPORT] – PART 5

We are excited to share our new five-part cultural intelligence report, The Omnicultural Series. This series explores the rise of the Omnicultural segment: who they are, how they behave, and, most importantly, what this evolution means for brands and business opportunities, along with other key insights shaping today’s cultural landscape.

TelevisaUnivision and Nielsen agree to New Media Intelligence Deal Covering Streaming, National and Local TV, and Radio

TelevisaUnivision and Nielsen announced a new, multi-year measurement and data agreement covering all of TelevisaUnivision’s properties, including national and local broadcast, cable, streaming, radio. Under the agreement, TelevisaUnivision will continue to leverage Nielsen’s suite of media intelligence solutions.

2025 Hispanic Content Report – Available for download for FREE

HispanicAd offers its annual report on key Content, Data & Social usage strategies, along with the importance of using Data strategies to engage the US Hispanic Consumer.

The HMC 2025 Hispanic Market Guide challenges marketers to follow the growth and prioritize cultural COMPETENCY for brand success [DOWNLOAD for FREE]

The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) has released its highly anticipated 2025 Hispanic Market Guide as a roadmap to help marketers effectively and authentically connect with the top U.S. growth market: Latinos. The guide features business-building cultural insights, economic and sector data plus reports on media consumption, purchase behavior and Hispanic creativity.

2026 Digital Media Trends: Capturing always-on fandom between releases and seasons

There are audiences, and there are fans. Fans represent a segment of consumers seeking long-term, consistent relationships with the intellectual property, artists, teams, and franchises they love.1 And while the media and entertainment industry is largely optimized around moments—blockbuster movie premieres, live sporting events, video game releases, and TV season launches—fandom isn’t experienced on the same schedule. Fans are willing to move across formats, platforms, and experiences during those big moments and in the “off-season,” in search of a continuity that they can’t experience otherwise. These fans may be signaling that the off-season isn’t a lull; it’s an opportunity.

WHERE THE MOMENTUM REALLY LIVES – 68.5 MILLION STRONG. BUILT FOR SCALE. BUILT FOR THE FUTURE.

This map isn’t just demographics.

Acculturation getting Fuzzy …..

In U.S. Hispanic segmentation models, the acculturation model is still being widely used without overlaying the Generation Model.  By Begonia Martinez - Project Based: Moderator/Qualitative Researcher:Generation Z and U.S. Hispanic|Brand Consultancy

Slow Growth Impacts Nation’s Largest Counties Hardest

Population growth slowed in a majority of the nation’s 3,143 counties and the District of Columbia between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, according to the Vintage 2025 population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years

In July, the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary. The country’s last major milestone was 50 years ago, at its bicentennial on July 4, 1976. U.S. society has changed profoundly since then. Over the past five decades, the U.S. population has aged significantly, with the percentage of people 65 and older nearly doubling. The country has also become more racially and ethnically diverse, as growing shares of people identify as Asian or Hispanic. And following more than 70 million immigrant arrivals, the percentage of foreign-born people in the population has more than tripled.

Modern Measurement = Modern Media Decisions

  Big move from Nielsen—but here’s why brands and agencies should actually care:  Radio measurement is getting a long-overdue upgrade for how people live today. By Grace Agostino

The Quiet Retreat: Why Brands Are Still Investing in Multicultural Consumers, Just Not Publicly

Over the last year, I’ve noticed something interesting.  Several brands have publicly scaled back, rebranded, or quietly dismantled their multicultural marketing efforts. Some announced it. Others simply removed the language from their websites, shifted titles internally, or reallocated visible budgets.  And yet.  Behind closed doors, those same brands are still investing in multicultural research. By Mario Xavier Carrasco - Multicultural Insights Leader @ ThinkNow

The AI Culture War: Battleground for Cultural Competence

Artificial intelligence has reshaped how marketing works. It analyzes massive datasets in seconds, streamlines workflows, surfaces patterns humans might miss, and generates ideas at unprecedented speed.  But beneath the excitement lies an uncomfortable truth. Artificial Intelligence is becoming the most influential storyteller in marketing without understanding the people it represents. And that should concern all of us. This is not a theoretical disconnect, but one that is happening now. At scale! Largely unnoticed, it has real consequences for how cultures are seen, heard, and engaged.  By Donnie Broxson - CEO & Cultural Intelligence Leader

AHA Report [REPORT]

The AHA Report explores how cultural identity influences the purchasing behaviors of Affluent Hispanic Americans (AHA)—the most underexplored opportunity for U.S. luxury growth.

Unlocking Latino Fandom for Brand Growth. [WEBINAR]

Latino audiences already sit at the center of U.S. soccer fandom, bringing higher avidity, deeper emotional investment, and stronger cultural connection to the game. As Hispanic influence and purchasing power continue to grow, understanding how this audience experiences the World Cup — and sports more broadly — is becoming a real brand advantage.