Spanish-language TV giant Univision launches streaming service as competition heats up (2024)

Univision Communications is making an ambitious push into streaming with PrendeTV, an advertising-supported Spanish-language service with more than three dozen live television channels and a deep library of on-demand programs.

Tuesday’s launch of PrendeTV follows three months after a new ownership group took control of Univision with a goal of returning the storied Spanish-language broadcaster to prominence. The company stumbled during its 14-year ownership by private equity investors who were slow to recognize generational changes in TV viewership — and the rise of Netflix.

Univision, now based in Miami, is promoting PrendeTV as the first U.S. streaming service stocked entirely with Spanish-language programming.

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Unlike many of its competitors — including Netflix, FuboTV, Sling TV and AT&T TV — the PrendeTV app can be downloaded and watched for free. Univision believes ad-supported platforms will have the biggest potential for growth, and it has signed up such major advertisers as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Chase bank and Walmart to help support the programming, according to Univision’s president and chief transformation officer, Pierluigi Gazzolo.

Univision’s high-stakes gamble on streaming comes amid declines in traditional television viewership. Its longtime rival, Telemundo, also is seeking to engage Latinos with its offerings on NBCUniversal’s Peaco*ck streaming service, which is available to consumers for $4.99 a month.

In an interview, Univision’s Gazzolo declined to provide the company’s estimates for the potential number of the service’s users.

“I don’t want to give figures yet, but it will be aggressive — and it will be in the millions,” Gazzolo said. “The launch of PrendeTV is a significant and new transformation of Univision. We are going to be chasing for the same share of audience that we have had with television, but now in the streaming world.”

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At launch, the service will offer more than 40 entertainment channels, including movies, sports and children’s programming. It also will have 11,000 hours of on-demand library content, which includes shows from Univision and Mexico City-based Grupo Televisa (a minority owner of Univision), as well as Brooklyn-based FilmRise and international powerhouses Caracol TV in Colombia and Rede Globo in Brazil.

Prende (which in English means to “turn on”) will eventually have more than 150 films from Hollywood studios, including Walt Disney Co., Lionsgate and MGM.

At launch, the service will have nine telenovela channels; seven movie channels, including “Cine Boom” and “Cine Hollywood”; and three family channels. It also will offer soccer channels including “Liga Mex” and “Futbol Europeo.” And it will offer a nature and wildlife channel from Blue Ant Media called “Love Nature.”

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PrendeTV will be available to users of Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and iPhone, as well as Google’s Android phones and TV. Univision said it has completed a distribution deal with Roku, paving the way for the service to be available through Roku devices.

More than 63 million strong, Latinos make up 19% of the U.S. population. With such a large market, former Viacom executive Wade Davis and private equity firm Searchlight Capital Partners saw great potential in turning Univision around. Davis and Searchlight Capital Partners in February 2020 announced that they would acquire the majority stake in Univision from the private equity group that included Los Angeles billionaire Haim Saban.

Davis, now chief executive of Univision, brought his former Viacom colleague, Gazzolo, who previously ran Viacom International’s networks and streaming arm, to the team.

This isn’t Univision’s first foray into streaming. The broadcaster previously experimented with platforms devoted to the company’s programming, including its melodramatic soap operas. And nearly two months ago, Univision bought another ad-supported independent streaming platform — VIX TV — which has over 20,000 hours of Spanish-language programming. Univision plans to combine VIX with PrendeTV.

For now, PrendeTV will be available only in the U.S.

“As our streaming ambitions grow, we would like to take it globally,” Gazzolo said.

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Spanish-language TV giant Univision launches streaming service as competition heats up (2024)

FAQs

Spanish-language TV giant Univision launches streaming service as competition heats up? ›

TelevisaUnivision

TelevisaUnivision
TelevisaUnivision is the world's leading Spanish-language media company. Powered by the largest library of owned Spanish-language content and a prolific production capability, TelevisaUnivision is the top producer of original content in Spanish across news, sports and entertainment verticals.
https://corporate.televisaunivision.com › our-company
Introduces ViX,World's LargestSpanish-Language Streaming Service. MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TelevisaUnivision Inc., the world's leading Spanish-language media and content company, today unveiled ViX, the first global large-scale streaming service created specifically for the Spanish-speaking world.

What is the name of the largest Spanish-language TV channel in the US? ›

Univision is the leading media company serving Hispanic America.

Who is the new owner of Univision? ›

In February 2020, Searchlight Capital Partners and ForgeLight acquired a 64% majority stake in Univision, with Televisa keeping their 36% minority stake. In December 2020, former Viacom CFO Wade Davis replaced Sadusky to become CEO, effective as of the closing of the transaction.

Does Fox News own Univision? ›

Univision is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network that is owned by Univision Communications.

What are the 5 Spanish TV channels? ›

Major networks
TV networkFoundedOwner
Univision1987TelevisaUnivision
Estrella TV2009Estrella Media (owned by HPS Investment Partners)
Telemundo1984NBCUniversal
UniMás2002TelevisaUnivision

What are the two major Spanish-language television networks? ›

Spanish-language television is well known as the largest component of Spanish-language mass media in the United States. Its two chief providers, the broadcast-online networks Univision and Telemundo, are foremost U.S. media institutions.

Who is the largest producer of Spanish-language content? ›

As the leading Spanish-language media and content company in the world, TelevisaUnivision features the largest library of owned content and industry-leading production capabilities that power its streaming, digital and linear television offerings, as well as its radio platforms.

What is the difference between Univision and Univision now? ›

How is the Univision App different from Univision NOW Subscription? Univision Now is a subscription that you pay for monthly. With a Univision Now Subscription you can see the shows and programming of Univision and Unimas live and on demand.

Is Univision no longer free? ›

The Univision app is a free streaming service that's included with your TV subscription for participating TV providers. With the Univision app you can watch Univision shows live or on demand, whenever and wherever you want; on your computer, phone, tablet, or TV.

Which country owns FOX News? ›

The channel was created by Australian-born American media mogul Rupert Murdoch in 1996 to appeal to a conservative audience, hiring former Republican media consultant and CNBC executive Roger Ailes as its founding CEO. It launched on October 7, 1996, to 17 million cable subscribers.

Who are Univision competitors? ›

Univision competitors include Marketplace, Liberman Broadcasting, Sinclair Broadcast Group and E.W. Scripps.

What is the most popular Spanish channel? ›

Univision. Owned by TelevisaUnivision, Univision is the largest provider of spanish content in the US. In their programming you can find telenovelas, hispanic sitcoms, sports and reality shows. It is available on pay television in most of the country and has live streaming in their official website.

What is the largest Spanish-language media? ›

The largest Hispanic/Spanish language TV and Radio channel in the United States (USA) is Univision. It is a Spanish-language television network that broadcasts in the United States and is the country's largest provider of Spanish-language content.

What is the national Spanish channel? ›

RTVE is Spain's largest state-owned public media company. It is made up of TVE (with seven television channels), RNE (with six radio stations), the RTVE.es website, the RTVE Play platform, RTVE Instituto and the RTVE Orchestra and Choir.

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