Media is still getting it wrong with Black audiences, and egregiously so.
One big issue? Treating Black viewers, whose buying power is expected to exceed $2 trillion in 2026, as a monolith rather than showing complexity in life experience. According to Nielsen’s 15th annual Black Diverse Intelligence Series, a whopping 71% of Black audiences still feel misrepresented because of this. The report, which dives into the relationships between Black audiences and U.S. media, highlights several areas where media has an opportunity to improve.
“Black audiences are more than twice as likely than the average audience to rank race and ethnicity as the strongest motivator to engage, but across the board, age and life stage mattered too,” Charlene Polite Corley, Nielsen’s vice president of inclusive insights, tells ESSENCE. Representation is nuanced, and for it to feel authentic, it also needs to be consistent. That’s why Corley points to Gap’s 2025 campaigns as examples of media that successfully resonated.
The brand “showed up with a best-in-class take on inclusion, pop culture and Black influence in their “Better in Denim” campaign [with Katseye]. But what really makes it work is how the brand shows up consistently from Gap Studio dressing Wunmi Mosaku for the red carpet to Dapper Dan’s viral collabs,” she added. If Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album and tour count as a campaign, Corley would highlight it too. “The world-building, the storytelling, the roots, the innovation,” she says, are “chef’s kiss.”
Nielsen also finds that brands need to show up, not just in what they say, but what they do. After all, 70% of Black consumers in the report said they will stop buying from brands that devalue their community. Companies must think about, per Corley, “how are you consistently communicating that your brand values Black America’s business?”
Ahead, there are major opportunities to serve Black audiences where they haven’t been brought in enough, like in women’s sports. Brands need to innovate here in order to nurture fans.
“There is room to grow brand loyalty and outcomes through women’s sports when it comes to centering Black fans and Black culture,” Corley confirms. “Three years ago, Nielsen data was showing double digit increases in Black fan interest for the WNBA. Today we’re four-times more likely to be very interested in the league.”
Something similar rings true for anime. The report found that 43% of Black Gen Z respondents are anime fans, a few percentage points higher than the 39% average overall. But, notably, anime is the primary fan identity for enough of Black audiences that they are “52% more likely to prioritize this identity than audiences overall,” per Corley.
Black audiences are driving trends and culture across the board. When media gets it right for us, it benefits everyone. It’s not just about tapping into our $2 trillion buying power, but about telling real stories and committing to real action. Corley says, “Black audiences overall are leading the charge for inclusion and authentic representation, prioritizing media that features a range of identities.”