Univision will pitch a new slate of weeknight dramas, music specials and series and sports at its upfront event Tuesday.
Because of the pandemic, the presentation will be conducted virtually, but the network hopes that having Pitbull open the proceedings with a new performance of his song I Believe That We Will Win will bring the audience to life, even if they’re sitting at home watching online.
“The investments we’ve made in network, local and digital programming has resulted in Univision finishing the broadcast season as the highest growth network at a time when virtually all other networks experienced declines,” said Vince Sadusky, CEO of Univision. “This momentum represents a real opportunity for brands to make a meaningful connection with an underserved and high-growth community. We are the recognized leader and go-to source for the best Spanish-language content anywhere, and anticipate that we will only grow stronger as we continue to listen to and serve the needs of the Hispanic community.”
(Univision’s investors agreed to sell the company to a group led by former Viacom CFO Wade Davis, who will become CEO when the transaction closes.).
Related: Univision Cuts Commercial Loads During COVID-19 Crisis
Steve Mandala, president of advertising sales and marketing at Univision, touted the companies Univision Brand Labs, which helps create content and provide other services for marketers looking to tailor their messages for Hispanic consumers, as well as Conexo, which helps advertisers leverage Univision’s over-the-top streaming app Univision Now. Conexo can target consumers based on geography, demography and viewing behavior.
“We are dedicated to serving our audience and partners with a proven programming strategy and suite of tools and services that meet the changing needs of consumers and advertisers,” said Mandala. “If you are not developing campaigns that speak to this consumer, then you are missing the opportunity to effectively grow your business, especially at a time when advertisers are seeing a 40% growth in return on investment for their Spanish-language campaigns.”
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Univision’s programming for the 2020-21 season includes 1 new scripted title including romances Imperio de Mentiras (Empire of Lies) and Te Acuerdas de Mi (Remember Me).
Live event programming features Latin Grammy Hondra (Latin Grammy Honors) a new music event on Univision. It joins Premios Juventud, the Latin Grammy Awards and Premios Lo Nuestro.
Univision is also launching a series of music-based specials under the Iconos de la Musica banner. Each special honors a musician with a live concert and in-depth interviews. The first special honors Jenni Rivera and is produced in conjunction with Blackbird Presents and Sony Music Latin.
The network is also launching a new franchise to its Domingos en Familia Sunday night reality competition block with Tu Cara me Suena (Your Face Sounds Familiar).
As sports come back from the COVID-19 pandemic, Univision said it is loaded with 1,600 live soccer games from Liga MX, UEFA Champions League and MLS. During its Summer of Champions, Univision’s sports network TUDN will telecast 10 championship matches including the Euro and Gold Cup Finals.
Univision said 91% of the audience for its newscasts cannot be reached with English-language TV news. Univision News is adding new programs En un Minuto (In One Minute) and Q&A, a town-hall style show that appears on Facebook.
