Spanish-language giant TelevisaUnivsion is the latest TV company to project a higher volume of “upfront” ad commitments, bucking conventional wisdom that many media companies might see a shortfall as advertisers get more choosy about where to put their video ad dollars.
The company expects volume growth in the single-digit percentage range across its broader portfolio of media properties. In the upfront, media companies try to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory head of the debut of their next cycle of programming.
“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.”
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As has been the case at other media companies, advertisers gravitated toward sports and streaming video. TelevisaUnivision saw strong demand for properties including Liga MX and UEFA Champions League. The company’s ViX streaming hub, meanwhile, secured volume that was up in a double-digit percentage range from last year’s upfront market.
The company said 40% of overall volume secured was based on deals that call for so-called “alternative currencies” that may not hinge directly on traditional Nielsen counts of impressions delineated by specific age ranges.
Under Speciale, the company has been eager to win new support from ad categories that have not traditionally bought its ad time, especially from finance and pharmaceutical advertisers. Auto makers and beverage manufacturers were also contributors to upfront volume.
