Netflix Tops Streaming Choices for Black Audiences; ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ to End After Five Seasons; 'Roc' in the CIC Classic TV Series Spotlight
Top Story: Netflix Emerges as Go-To Platform for Black Consumers: Horowitz Research
As Black audiences increasingly turn to subscription streaming services for most of their TV viewing, Netflix has become the leading platform, according to Horowitz Research.
Among Black viewers 18 and older, Netflix is the most preferred, with 63% subscribing to or having access to the streaming service compared to 60% for general market viewers, according to Horowitz’s FOCUS Black Volume 1: Subscriptions 2025. Prime Video finished second with 60% of Black consumers subscribing to or accessing the service, and Disney Plus was third with 35%, according to the report.
Adriana Waterston, Executive VP, Insights and Strategy Lead at Horowitz, told Content in Color that Netflix’s programming lineup strongly resonates with Black audiences seeking authentic representation and storytelling. In 2025 alone, Netflix released several high-profile and popular shows featuring Black lead characters, including The Residence, She The People, Beauty in Black, and Forever.
“Netflix has made substantial investments in content by and for Black audiences, as well as global, international content that showcases a wide diversity of cultures, communities, and perspectives,” Waterston said. “This kind of content is in strong demand among consumers overall, and especially among Black viewers.”
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CBS Delays ‘Watson’ Sophomore Season Until 2026
Freshman drama series Watson will not return to television screens in the fall but will debut new episodes in January 2026. The series, starring Morris Chestnut, was recently renewed for a second season, but CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach told Deadline that a lack of room on the network’s fall schedule will delay its return. The series will air Sundays at 10 p.m., one hour later than the 9 p.m. time slot it occupied during its first season.
Starz’s ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ To End After Fifth Season
Power Book III: Raising Kanan, a prequel to Starz’s Power series, will end its run with the fifth and final season. The final season will introduce Branford “Breeze” Frady—a character first mentioned in the original Power series—played by Shameik Moore. Power Book III: Raising Kanan stars MeKai Curtis as a young Kanan Stark, the role originally portrayed by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in Power.
‘Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen’ To Fill CBS Late-Night Time Slot
Syndicated talk show Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen will join CBS’s late-night lineup this fall. The series will debut September 22 and air after The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, replacing the cancelled Taylor Tomlinson-hosted After Midnight series. The move marks the second time Comics Unleashed occupied that late-night time slot. The series, which features a panel of comedians in a roundtable format, aired in 2023, replacing The Late Late Show with James Corden during the Hollywood writers’ strike, according to Variety.
TV Celebrity Birthdays (May 24-30)
May 25: Octavia Spencer (Ugly Betty, Truth Be Told). May 26: Pam Grier (The L Word, Them), Philip Michael Thomas (Miami Vice), Sheldon Bailey (Shameless). May 27: Todd Bridges (Diff’rent Strokes), Dondre Whitfield (All My Children, Queen Sugar), Shanola Hampton (Shameless). May 28: Gladys Knight (Charlie & Co., The Jamie Foxx Show). May 29: Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), Brandon Mychal Smith (Unfabulous, Phil of The Future), Michole Briana White (BMF) May 30: Ralph Carter (Good Times).
CIC Classic TV Series Spotlight: ‘Roc'
Series Debut: 1991
Number of seasons: 3
Series Stars: Charles Dutton, Ella Joyce, Rocky Carroll, Carl Gordon
Series Synopsis: Roc follows the lives of Charles “Roc” Emerson, a proud family man who works with the sanitation department, Eleanor Emerson, his wife and nurse; Joey Emerson, Roc’s underachieving, trumpet-playing brother, and Joseph “Pop” Emerson, Roc and Joey’s father and retired railroad porter. The series mostly centers on Roc, who looks to balance work pressures with family life dynamics.
Awards/Acknowledgements: While Roc is classified as a comedy, the show tackles serious issues such as race relations, inner-city violence, and the war on drugs. In a rare move for scripted television, episodes from its second season were broadcast live, highlighting the talents of its four leads, all veteran Broadway actors. The show earned a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1993 and three NAACP Image Award nominations over its three-season run.
Where to Watch: Roc is available on free streaming service Pluto TV and subscription services such as Apple TV Plus, and Amazon Prime Video.