The Annual Hispanic Television Summit is now in its 22nd year of uninterrupted execution. For Joe Schramm, managing partner and president of Schramm Marketing Group, the event organizers along with Future Group, this achievement in longevity and growth reflects the continued need for an annual conference focused on the Hispanic TV business.
“This is further demonstrated by the ongoing commitment of sponsors and attendees who return each year. Another achievement is the growing number of new sponsors every year and the increase in high-level managers attending. These managers represent various segments of the Hispanic TV business, including advertising, media, research, marketing, production, programming, and distribution,» he notes.
Patricio Wills, who this year marks 50 years of uninterrupted work in the industry, is embarking on a new chapter in his illustrious career. His journey began at RTI in Colombia and continued in the US with Telemundo, Univision, and TelevisaUnivision. Now, he’s returning to W Studios as president, regaining full ownership of the company. This move follows a mutually beneficial conclusion to his tenure at TelevisaUnivision, where he will continue to provide content.
PRODU: What will your relationship be like from now on with TelevisaUnivision?
«I’ve recently parted ways with TelevisaUnivision on amicable terms. We had a successful partnership for many years. In 2012-2013, we formed W Studios, a joint venture with Univision. We achieved great things during that time. Later, when I received an offer from Isaac Lee and Emilio Azcárraga to join Televisa in Mexico, W Studios became a Televisa property due to conflicts of interest. After three years, I returned to the US and reached an agreement with Univision. I continued to lead W Studios, of course as an employee of the company.»
We are an entertainment company dedicated to forging an emotional connection with the Spanish-speaking audience. We operate as a talent agency, production company, film studio, and streaming platform. At Hispanomedios, we develop audiovisual projects that encompass a wide range of services, from conceptualization and production to talent selection and distribution.
Hispanomedios is a company founded by and for Hispanics, aiming to create original series and movie content featuring renowned Latin American talent. We aspire to become a leading choice for Spanish speakers worldwide, offering content that resonates deeply with them.
Have you ever traveled to a foreign country where you didn’t know anyone and didn’t understand the language or culture? If so, you probably felt alone and a bit anxious about your situation. But once you connected with someone who shared your language or culture, there was a sense of relief and community that was absent before. The country felt less unfamiliar and more welcoming.
This experience is similar to what many U.S. Latinos feel when they are in a society that doesn’t speak their language or understand their culture. They often feel isolated. And if they aren’t reflected or mirrored in the media, they may feel invisible and unwelcome.
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) has been championing Latino excellence across all creative platforms for 25 years.
Diana Luna, Executive Director of NALIP, discussed the significant challenges of promoting original productions featuring Latino talent and cultural themes. She noted that NALIP represents a diverse range of Latinos in the industry, from emerging filmmakers to senior executives, and that the challenges they face vary accordingly.
For JK Media Group, the key to achieving representation of Latino voices and talents in US productions is “being authentic to their roots and their fans, giving audiences a deep look into the realization of the American dream”.
«We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with highly successful talent who resonate deeply with US Hispanic audiences. Our original productions prioritize authentic storytelling and feature talent who organically connect with their fans through social media, music, concerts, and cultural events,» said Sebastián Jiménez, CEO of JK Media Group.
The key to achieving representation of Hispanic voices and talent in U.S. productions lies in recognizing that Latinos are integral Americans who bring diverse perspectives and narratives to the table, asserts Mari Urdaneta, CEO of 200% Media.
“Latinos are equally capable of creating content for the wider audience and can introduce fresh storylines and ideas previously unexplored. Our stories are just as American, National, and International as any other good story! In the past, when meeting with networks, we were often redirected to their LatAm department assuming our interest was limited to Latin content due to our ethnicity. Thankfully, in recent years, networks have begun acknowledging our potential in the general market, and hopefully, this trend will continue to amplify Latin voices and talent in their productions,” said Urdaneta.
For Carlos Mesber, CEO of We Love Entertainment, a clear example of the company’s commitment to diversity is the two programs they produce daily for Univision. “In both Siéntese Quien Pueda and Desiguales, we have made an effort to assemble a cast of people from various nationalities, ensuring a rich and authentic representation of our culture in all its nuances. We have talent from Venezuela, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Spain, and Cuba, reflecting the plurality and beauty of our Hispanic roots.”
Mesber explains that to ensure authenticity, “it is essential to involve Latinx creatives at all levels of the production process. We also conduct detailed research and make sure that cultural decisions are aligned with the lived experiences of the communities we are portraying.”
To increase the representation of Hispanics in original productions, Mariano Calasso, IP Creator and Showrunner at Tempo Media, believes that a positive step would be to strengthen local economic incentives.
“Living within the American system, especially in the context of the ‘American Dream,’ gives rise to a unique Latino culture among those living in the United States, distinct from the one they experienced in their countries of origin. That’s why I believe a major current challenge is to strengthen local economic incentives to help reactivate Hispanic production within the United States, as it is currently a difficult task due to high costs,” said Calasso.
An analysis by BB Media on the AVOD (ad-supported video on demand) market highlights several factors contributing to its growth among Hispanic audiences in the United States. These include the increasing Hispanic population, the rise of programmatic advertising, evolving content preferences, and a desire for simplified viewing options.
Castalia is expanding into the FAST channel market, leveraging its extensive experience in creating, distributing, and monetizing pay TV channels and digital platforms.
Pablo Corona, Castalia’s FAST Channels Consultant, states, “Entering this project is both challenging and exciting. We look forward to contributing our content and collaborating with top-tier producers to develop our FAST Channels initiative.»
Alan Sokol, CEO and President of Hemisphere Media Group, Inc., believes that the novelas in their AVOD catalog outperform any other novela title on streaming platforms.
“An example is Moses and the Ten Commandments, a telenovela that aired on our cable channel Pasiones in 2023. It surpassed expectations on traditional television, becoming the most-watched telenovela on U.S. cable that year. Now that it’s available on our FAST Channel and AVOD, it’s generating impressive results. Additionally, our Turkish catalog is highly popular among platforms and viewers. We’re proud of our telenovela curation and will continue to bring viewers engaging stories from around the globe.”
According to Luis Romero, EVP of Sales at Canela Media, several factors are driving the growth of AVOD in the U.S. Hispanic market:
-Large and Growing Population: Hispanics, numbering 64 million, are the largest ethnic group in the U.S., contributing 51% of the population’s growth from 2010 to 2020, according to the Census.
-Increased Penetration: Rapid growth in internet and smartphone usage has made streaming services more accessible, increasing AVOD usage among U.S. Hispanics from 17% in 2022 to 45% in 2023, based on Nielsen’s Digital TV Research.
According to Jennifer McBride-Castro, Marketing, US Affiliate Distribution at Condista, the response of Hispanics to the arrival of AVOD platforms has been “outstandingly positive.” Castro highlights that Hispanics are more inclined to try free streaming services than their mass-market counterparts (80% vs. 67%). According to Horowitz, an estimated 80% of Hispanics in 2024 have utilized a free streaming service, up from just 14% in 2019.
Live content remains a significant driver of viewership, especially in sports and news within the AVOD space, says Rafael Urbina, COO of ViX.
“In sports, we’ve just come out of a massive summer of soccer with Copa America and UEFA Euro, with select matches available on our free tier. Copa and Euro drew record viewership across ViX, ranking as the top two most streamed sporting events ever on the service in the U.S. On the news front, our Noticias Univision 24/7 channel continues to be the go-to destination for live, round-the-clock coverage—especially during this high-stakes 2024 Election cycle—where Hispanics turn to us for the news that matters most,” added Urbina.
Telemundo, as part of Comcast NBCUniversal, has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 for Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
“Our commitment to protecting the planet stems from a deep desire to care for the communities where we live, work, and create,” the company expresses.
They are actively working to reduce their carbon footprint by measuring, reporting, and mitigating the environmental impact of their operations.
“NBCUniversal has a dedicated sustainability team to support our enterprise greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis. Since 2019, we have reduced our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by over 30%. In 2023, Comcast NBCU sourced over 1.1 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean and renewable energy – approximately 25% of our total enterprise electricity load,” they point out.
SPECIFIC STEPS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY
At the state-of-the-art Telemundo Center, a culture is fostered that encourages employees to integrate sustainability values into their work. “We’ve done this by establishing sustainable practices at our headquarters and setting green best practices on our productions. We also try to use our unique position in media to inspire others to protect the environment,” the company highlights.
They view sustainability as a comprehensive approach to doing business that minimizes their environmental footprint while fostering social responsibility and economic viability.
“Our enterprise-wide sustainability strategy at NBCUniversal focuses on reducing our emissions and energy usage, conserving and responsibly managing materials, and leveraging our platforms to inspire global audiences. This means working to source clean and renewable energy whenever possible, build sustainably, increasingly electrify our fleet, and promote recycling and reuse programs. Behind the camera, we empower production teams to integrate sustainable best practices into on-set protocols. In front of the camera, we leverage the reach of our content and the power of storytelling to spotlight pressing environmental issues and inspire a sustainable future for our viewers,” they point out.
The cutting-edge virtual set at Telemundo Center enables the company to reduce the construction of physical sets, minimize travel to remote locations, and eliminate the need to transport equipment.
This cutting-edge technology was recently used to transport viewers to Paris for Telemundo Deportes’ 2024 Olympics coverage. “We continuously evaluate opportunities for clean power on our scripted productions by piloting and demonstrating new technologies on set. Telemundo Center has installed flexible solar panels with batteries in fleet operations such as golf carts, trucks (to power lift gates), and production trailers to save fuel and emissions. These retrofits are innovative ways to use the equipment we already have today and make them more sustainable.”
Additionally, NBCUniversal is involved in various audiovisual industry collaborations, such as the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance (SEA), to develop best practices and promote the adoption of sustainability within the industry. SEA is dedicated to decarbonizing the entertainment sector and leveraging its influence to inspire a more sustainable future.
EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
Telemundo Center houses a 94,000-square-foot warehouse dedicated to storing set materials, props, and wardrobes for reuse at no cost to productions.
Telemundo also utilizes 100% LED lighting and has installed electric car charging stations available to all employees at a minimal cost.
To minimize waste, Telemundo Center collects all food scraps from its kitchen operations and partners with a local Miami-based composting service for disposal.
The EcoGreen Program at Telemundo Center fosters eco-friendly practices both in the workplace and at home. This program involves a committee of executives, sponsors, and employee champions who actively promote the company’s green initiatives.
Green outdoor space at Telemundo Center
HISPANIC CONSUMERS AS A DRIVING FORCE
For Telemundo, Hispanic consumers play a significant role in driving sustainability efforts within the industry as they increasingly prioritize eco-friendly products and practices.
Their growing demand for sustainable solutions encourages Telemundo to adopt greener initiatives and reflect these values in its content, ultimately influencing broader industry trends toward sustainability.
The company also organizes and participates in community events such as clean-up drives and tree planting, fostering community involvement and responsibility.
They add that Telemundo Center partners with a local Miami-based composting service to provide food scraps from their cafeteria. “They turn the scraps into rich compost and donate it to local farms and businesses,” they point out.
Telemundo News anchor Vanessa Hauc’s Planeta Tierra series has highlighted local and global environmental issues and grassroots efforts to inspire the community to adopt similar practices.
Employees partake in year-round events and initiatives to raise awareness around sustainability. “For our audiences, series like Planeta Tierra and Nuestro Planeta help to bring attention to sustainability topics,” they emphasize.
Spanglish Audiences, the CTV programmatic advertising unit of Spanglish Movies, is uniquely positioned to help advertisers and content creators authentically engage U.S. Hispanic audiences in the CTV ecosystem.
The production tax incentives launched in Miami-Dade at the beginning of 2024 are already showing results, according to Marco Girón, Head of Film and Entertainment at the Miami-Dade County Office of Film & Entertainment.
“The tax incentives have ramped up production around here. We’re seeing more films, TV shows, and digital projects choosing Miami-Dade as their backdrop. They’ve fueled growth in our audiovisual sector. We’ve been able to expand operations, create more jobs, and strengthen our industry presence,” said Girón.
One of the trends in Hispanic TV consumption observed by Tom Montemagno, Executive Vice President of Programming Acquisition at Charter Communications, is that Hispanic viewers are embracing digital and streaming platforms faster than non-Hispanic consumers when it comes to watching and finding their favorite content. He notes, however, that viewership of Spanish-language programming on traditional TV remains strong.
One aspect that excites José E. Vélez-Silva, VP of Multicultural Strategy, Operations & Community Engagement at Comcast, about the Hispanic market is its diversity, which is multilingual and multicultural, enjoying an even wider array of genres than the general market.
Regarding Hispanic audience preferences, Vélez notes that the top genres are dramas, comedies, sports, and news. However, within these categories, there is a wide demand for various sub-genres of content.
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