TelevisaUnivsion Sees Flat Upfront Volume, Despite Surge in Digital Ads
Spanish-language giant TelevisaUnivision said it was able to secure the same amount of advertising commitments it did last year during the TV industry’s annual “upfront” market, which has so far rewarded companies with seasonal big-sports extravaganzas to pitch, but not others.
TelevisaUnivision won overall volume for its core business that was “consistent” with 2024 upfront sales, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company secured $1.82 billion in U.S. advertising in 2024, according to its fourth-quarter earnings release, up 2% from the nearly $1.78 billion it captured in 2023. Upfront sales are not the equivalent of annual revenue, but often represent an indicator of Madison Avenue’s interest in the property seeking sponsorships.
TelevisaUnivision, like its English-language TV rivals in the U.S., faced an uncertain market that has advertisers worried about the effects of President Trump’s tariffs on consumers and the economy. Both NBCUniversal and Fox Corp., which are offering large single sports events in 2026, managed to lure more ad dollars than last year, according to statements from those companies. NBCU will feature the Winter Olympics, Super Bowl and a Spanish-language telecasts of the World Cup on its Telemundo network. Fox has English-language rights to the World Cup tournament.
TelevisaUnivision also switched its ad-sales chief in the middle of its upfront process, a maneuver that can give advertisers pause. Nonetheless, the company’s new head of ad sales, Tim Natividad, said the upfront was bringing new client’s to the company’s properties. “TelevisaUnivision’s Upfront is a powerful proof point of how we’ve modernized our content and capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our customers across all mediums — traditional network, mobile, social, and digital,” he said. “As the definitive voice of the U.S. Hispanic audience, we combine that cultural leadership with technological sophistication to deliver smarter solutions that place brands within the most compelling live and experiential content, alongside the fastest-growing consumer base in the country.”
The company saw what it believes are new levels of ad commitment for digital media, particularly its ViX streaming service. TelevisaUnivsion offered a broad slate of “microdramas,” or short-form programming tailored for viewing on phones, as part of its suite of content this year. The company also unveiled a new music festival that will originate from three different cities over the course of its run.
The company has been on a mission to win ad dollars from specific ad categories it feels don’t spend as much on Spanish-speaking consumers as they do in the general market. TelevisaUnivision saw robust spending from beverage marketers as well as pharmaceutical advertisers, according to the person familiar with the matter, with double-digit percentage growth from the latter category when compared to 2024. .
