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Gen Z is undoubtedly a key demographic for brands to watch in the dynamic economic environment. But they aren’t the ONLY sector of consumers to watch. As new CivicScience data below shows, brands should not overlook Americans who are 45+, especially regarding media consumption as the Super Bowl rapidly approaches and the media landscape as a whole is changing. Here’s what brands should know about 45+ media consumption in 2025:
Americans 45+ Are Increasingly Sitting Down to Watch Sports on TV
One key trend emerging in CivicScience data as we enter February 2025 is the growing time spent watching sports on TV among adults 45+. Since 2023, this demographic has seen a significant increase in sports viewership, surpassing younger counterparts in reporting an average of five or more hours of sports per week, from 17% to 27%.
This trend is especially relevant for Super Bowl advertisers. The data show that consumers 45+ are far more likely than those under 45 to say TV ads influence their purchases, dining, and entertainment choices (42% vs. 24%). This also outpaces the impact of social media recommendations (37%) and online ads (21%) among those 45+.
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Podcast Listening Is on the Rise, Driven, in Part, by Americans 45 and Up
Increasing podcast listenership has already caught CivicScience’s radar as a recent trend, and a deeper dive into the data shows Americans 45+ are key contributors. In 2022, 31% of this group reported listening to podcasts, rising to 40% by the end of 2024 – a nine-point jump. While younger consumers remain the most common listeners, their growth has been far slower, edging up just one point from 62% to 63% over the past two years.
Coinciding with this rise, Americans in the 45+ group were also notably more likely to listen to news and politics, interview and conversational, and sports podcasts in 2024 compared to 2022.
Americans 45+ Are Scrolling Social Media More – to the Benefit of Facebook
Social media usage is also on the rise among adults 45 and older. In 2022, just 7% reported spending an average of four or more hours per day on social media. That figure has since climbed to 12% as of early February 2025. While social media use has also grown among those under 45 since 2022, that growth has plateaued in the new year.
This uptick in social media engagement among the 45+ crowd could be especially beneficial for Facebook. According to new data, 46% of adults 45+ say they scroll on Facebook daily – up from 41% in 2022 and overtaking the percentage of younger users under 45 reporting the same (43%).
Where Americans 45+ Prioritize Spend on Digital Subscriptions
Subscriptions are a part of life in the increasingly digital world. When it comes to types of digital subscriptions, new CivicScience data show just over half (51%) have paid subscriptions to video streaming services, followed distantly by cloud storage (24%) and music streaming platforms (23%). Overall, they are less likely than those under 45 to hold at least one digital subscription; however, they outpace them in news/magazine subscriptions (11% to 9%, respectively).
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While younger consumers often dominate media discussions, the evolving habits of those 45+ highlight a robust and growing audience. From sports and podcasts to social media and digital subscriptions, brands that adapt their approach to reach this demographic stand to gain a competitive advantage as 2025 rolls on.
