TelevisaUnivision Closes Upfront With High Ad Prices for Sports

TelevisaUnivision is the latest broadcaster to finish upfront talks.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the Spanish-language media company saw more advertisers participate in this year’s Upfront than in the past, which drove “single-digit volume growth across its linear, streaming, social and digital properties” that increased TelevisaUnivision’s CPMs (or the cost to reach 1,000 viewers).

Sports in particular continued to be a significant driver for the company’s growth and CPM prices. Demand was strong across the company’s core properties including Liga MX, UEFA Champions League and the Gold Cup following the massive success of Copa America and UEFA Euro—especially as soccer continues to be popular in the U.S.

“We are proud of the historic number of advertisers committing to the Hispanic audience in this year’s Upfront marketplace, underscoring TelevisaUnivision’s distinguished leadership in serving this critical, diverse and dynamic consumer base across all platforms,” said Donna Speciale, president of U.S. advertising and marketing at TelevisaUnivision, in a statement. “From linear and streaming to social and digital, more brands than ever have leaned in to leverage our strengthened capabilities, embracing culture and language as drivers of their future relevance and success.” 

TelevisaUnivision also continues to see demand for ViX, its live and on-demand streaming platform, with commitments up double-digits from last year.

According to the source, 40% of the overall volume was transacted on alternative currencies, which reflects the progress toward the adoption of accurate and representative measurement of their audience beyond Nielsen.

Social revenue grew nearly 40% as the company’s creator business continues to advance at a fast pace. TelevisaUnivision saw immediate demand for Sistema Uforia, its always-on capability for brands to plug into the company’s music portfolio.

Meanwhile, its experiential event, Casa Creator, which was originally scheduled to launch in 2025, debuted a year earlier due to brand demand. Coca-Cola was featured as an inaugural sponsor at its Premios Juventud award show this year.

The company grew across several categories, including auto, alcohol beverages and finance.

With the news, TelevisaUnivision joins NBCUniversal, Fox and Disney in upfront closings.

In 2023, TelevisaUnivision reported its best upfront in a decade, with a source familiar with the Spanish-language media company saying it “bucked industry trends for both price and volume.”

Talking to ADWEEK in May, Speciale previewed negotiations, saying the company is in talks with marketers throughout the year.

“This is an ongoing process,” she said. “We have been talking to them for months. English-language is being commoditized. There are a lot of streaming services out there that are doing all the same old stuff. Content is crucial. But we are unique.”

The company brought that uniqueness to its upfront presentations this year, creating a non-traditional Casa Cultura event, complete with a surprise Broadway-like performance and Shakira.