Spanish-language television networks have growing ad revenue to celebrate this Hispanic Heritage month.
According to new figures from Standard Media Index, broadcast year-to-date national revenue for Spanish-language TV networks were up 9% to $1.5 billion, the second-straight year of 9% growth.
The back-to-back bonanza separates Spanish-language TV from the TV market overall, which bounced back from the pandemic during the 2020-21 broadcast year but have been largely flat for 2021-22.
The most recent figures for SMI stretch from October 2021 to July of 2022, according to Nicole McCurnin, director of advertising insights at SMI.
“It’s been a consistent growth area,” McCurnin said.
SMI looked at 13 networks and saw growth across almost all of them. One network, El Rey, dropped off cable and out of SMI’s rankings as it shifted to streaming this year.
Spanish-language ad revenue is dominated by TelevisaUnivision’s Univision’s broadcast network, accounting for $768 million in spending or close to 50% of the total. So fair this broadcast year, Univision revenue is up 12%.
Comcast’s Telemundo network is No. 2 at $371 million in revenue, up 5%.
TelevisaUnivision owns the next three networks on the list, with Univmas up 10%, Galavision up 14% and sports network TUDN up 18%.
The remaining Spanish-language TV networks were up 3% combined.
The main reason for Spanish-language network revenue growth is the continued increase in the Hispanic population, McCurnin said. But other factors including a slower shift to streaming among Hispanics, although that may change with the launch earlier this year of TelevisaUnivision’s ViX and other Spanish-language streamers.
More advertisers are using Spanish-language media, but the biggest spending categories, according to SMI are pharmaceuticals, entertainment and retail. ■
