Wade Davis: Celebs Rumors

Super Bowl LVIII broke viewership records across the board last Sunday, including in one small-but-growing segment: Spanish-language audiences.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Spanish-language giant TelevisaUnivision said it narrowed its fourth quarter loss from the year-earlier period as increases in ad revenue in Mexico helped buoy the company despite a downturn in the same category in the U.S. and its continued investment in streaming. The company, which operates the Univision broadcast network in the U.S., said revenue in the quarter was off 7%, as gains in advertising were offset be declines in revenues from subscription and licensing.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The top executive of Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision defended the company’s recent decision to interview former President Donald Trump in a non-confrontational manner and suggested the media conglomerate was shifting some of its long-held political attitudes “We made a decision to adopt a strategy that is different than what some other major networks are using, which has been labeled as partisan,” said Wade Davis, CEO of the company and one of its financail architects, in a statement. Davis, a former Viacom CFO, purchased a majority stake in Univision in 2020, then merged it with Mexican TV provider Televisa in 2022. “Univision’s news strategy is one that is non-partisan and objective, and we serve our audience by being welcoming of competing issues, ideas, candidates and parties.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor TelevisaUnivision powered to its highest third-quarter revenue total in the U.S. to date, up 5% year-over-year, as overall global revenue increased 11% to $1.28 billion. The Spanish-language media company also touted growth of streaming service ViX to more than 40 million monthly active users and said the direct-to-consumer segment was on track to become profitable in mid-2024.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor While its English-language competitors had to grapple with price reductions in this year’s TV upfront market, Spanish-language giant TelevisaUnivision was able to do the opposite. The owner of the Univision broadcast network and the Vix streaming hub was able to increase the volume of ad commitments it secured in upfront talks, according to a person familiar with the matter.

TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis said the dual strikes crippling Hollywood have “zero impact” on his company’s operations due to the Hispanic media giant’s programming supply chain.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor TelevisaUnivision is speaking a different language in TV’s weakened upfront market. Where most media companies and media buyers expect the overall volume of ad commitments to decline owing to a tough economy and a Hollywood work stoppage, the Spanish broadcaster is anticipating gains and even rate hikes. “We expect to fare better than the market on pricing” said TelevisaUnivsion CEO Wade Davis during a call with investors Thursday, a reference to measures known as CPMs, or the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers. In many cases, according to media buyers and other executives, advertisers have called for “rollbacks” of as much as 5%,’ with sports the only category notching true positive gains.

TelevisaUnivision’s Univision News division, is departing the Spanish-language media and content company after 25 years. TelevisaUnivision announced Gómez’s exit on Monday. Gómez had headed Univision News for the past two years, and served as VP of news at Televisa for 23 years before that. Gómez’s interim replacement will be executive VP of news Maria Martinez-Guzman, who will begin after his July 14 departure. During his time at Univision News, Gómez launched Univision’s fact-checking platform “elDetector,” created a number of news specials, produced “Despierta America” and “Noticiero Univision,” and garnered two Edward R. Murrow awards and three News and Documentary Emmy awards.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Vernā Myers will be stepping down from her role as Netflix’s head of inclusion strategy at the end of September. Myers, who was the first to ever serve in the position for the streamer when she joined in 2018, will remain as an advisor to Netflix while returning to her self-titled consulting company, The Vernā Myers Company. Upon Myers’ departure, Netflix’s vice president of inclusion strategy Wade Davis, who has worked under Myers for the past four years, will be promoted to oversee the team. Former NFL player Davis has previously consulted on inclusive corporate culture for companies including Google, Procter & Gamble and Viacom (now part of Paramount Global).

TelevisaUnivision, which rolled out a two-tiered streaming offering under the Vix and Vix+ brands in 2022, is unifying them under the Vix banner.

Giant Spanish-language powerhouse TelevisaUnivision, which merged just over a year ago, saw sales surge 22% in the fourth of 2022 to $1.45 billion on strong World Cup games. Advertising revenue was up 14% in the U.S. and 10% overall.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision saw a 22% jump in pro-forma revenue for the fourth quarter in 2022, boosted by its 2022 FIFA World Cup coverage and midterm political ad spending. The company also for the first time reported audience figures for its ViX streaming service, touting more than 25 million monthly active users on the free, ad-supported tier. (It didn’t release numbers for the ViX+ subscription tier.) According to TelevisaUnivision, that makes ViX the world’s largest Spanish-language streamer. TelevisaUnivision, which was formed through the January 2022 merger of Televisa and Univision Communications, reported a net loss of $1.6 billion for Q4. That included a $1.7 billion non-cash impairment charge, primarily on its goodwill, which it said was “driven by the impact of general market conditions, including comparable market valuations and the rising interest rate environment.” The company’s impairment loss in 2022 related to the write-down of goodwill, TV broadcast licenses, tradenames and program rights.

Media ratings collective OpenAP, along with national programmers Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount, TelevisaUnivision, and Warner Bros. Discovery and the Video Advertising Bureau have formed a joint committee to push alternatives to Nielsen numbers.

Privately held Hispanic media giant TelevisaUnivision reported a 5% uptick in third-quarter revenue, to $1.2 billion, but said investments in streaming caused operating income to dip 4%.

TelevisaUnivision has elevated company veteran Ignacio “Nacho” Meyer to the role of president of U.S. networks.

In its first full quarter of results, TelevisaUnivision reported a modest uptick in revenue and reiterated its belief in having a unique market opportunity, though its adjusted income faltered due to investments in streaming.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorLuis Silberwasser is getting ready to till new terrain on a familiar piece of ground.The veteran TV executive, who has in recent years become a top content executive in Spanish-language media, has been named to head up the broader sports business for Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterTelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis explained the key differences he sees in the strategy used for the company’s ViX streaming platform, which currently consists of a free, ad-supported tier and will add a subscription premium level later this year, and those utilized by larger streamers or ones who are looking to get into the hybrid model.“Our market is very different,” Davis said during the TelevisaUnivision Q1 call with analysts Wednesday. “Our audience, both in the U.S.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterTelevisaUnivision revealed Univision Communications fourth-quarter 2021 financial results Wednesday, saying the company held its ad sales steady compared to the prior year and increased its subscription revenue 15% versus Q4 2020.Per the privately owned company, ad sales were up 0.1% in the three-month period ended Dec. 31, at $435.2 million versus $434.8 million. Core advertising revenue, which is adjusted for political and advocacy ads, rose 12% to $407 million compared to $363 million in Q4 2020.Meanwhile, subscription fee revenue was up 15% ($294.5 million vs.

Mexico-based Grupo Televisa and Univision have closed their $4.8 billion merger, uniting their vast Spanish-language media and production holdings in the U.S. and Mexico.

Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications, which recently unveiled a $4.8 billion deal to combine media, production and content assets with Mexico's Televisa, has unveiled financial metrics and preliminary first quarter results as it considers potential financing transactions and market opportunities. On Monday, Univision, which is led by CEO Wade Davis, forecast overall revenues of $634 million, down 4 percent from a year-earlier $660 million, for the three months to March 31 due to subscriber losses that were partly offset by advertising revenue rising four percent.

Newly unveiled Televisa-Univision is heading worldwide to beat out Spanish-language pay TV rivals in what top executives see as a largely untapped global market beyond the U.S. and Mexico.

Two of the biggest Spanish-language media companies in the world are planning to merge. Mexico's Televisa and Univision are set to combine media, production and content into a new company to be called Televisa-Univision, the two announced Tuesday.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorUnivision and Televisa have come to terms on a merger agreement, a long-awaited deal that will create a Spanish-language TV giant with broad reach in Mexico and the U.S.The deal calls for Televisa to contribute its media, content and production assets and a handful of networks to a new entity to be known as Televisa-Univision. Televisa’s assets are valued at $4.8 billion.

Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications, which late last year sold a majority stake to an investor group led by former Viacom CFO Wade Davis, reported higher fourth-quarter revenue despite the coronavirus pandemic as its media networks unit returned to advertising growth thanks to political spending. The company posted a fourth-quarter loss from continuing operations of $39.1 million, compared with a year-ago profit of $93.9 million.

Hispanic media giant Univision Communications swung to a loss in the fourth quarter from a profit in the year ago period, as revenue inched up 4%.

Univision has launched PrendeTV, describing it as the “first and only streaming channels-based and VOD service created specifically for U.S. Hispanic audiences.”

A year after beingacquired byan investor group led by former Viacom CFO Wade Davis, and just a few months after officially closing the deal, Univision’s future is taking shape. The Spanish language TV giant plans to reinvent itself as a multi-platform juggernaut with global aspirations.

Univision has added two senior executives to its ad sales ranks ahead of a pair of upfront presentations to media buyers.

Spanish language media giant Univision Communications has acquired VIX, the indie ad-supported streaming service offering video-on-demand content to Hispanic audiences in the U.S. and across Latin America.

Univision has acquired Spanish-language streaming service Vix as it gears up to launch ad-supported domestic streaming outlet PrendeTV.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorSix of the nation’s most prominent advertisers have signed on as early supporters of Univision’s new PrendeTV, a vote of confidence in the streaming service as the Spanish-language broadcaster moves forward in early days under new management.Clorox, Coca-Cola, Dunkin, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota and Walmart will serve as charter advertisers of the new service, Donna Speciale, the executive recently named president of advertising sales and marketing at Univision, tells Variety in an interview. The company is now being led by Wade Davis, a former Viacom financial executive who helped arrange a purchase of a majority stake in the company by Searchlight Capital Partners, LP and  ForgeLight LLC.

Univision is entering the streaming wars. The Spanish-language broadcaster on Tuesday announced it's preparing to launch a free, ad-supported streaming platform called PrendeTV.

Spanish-language broadcast giant Univision Tuesday announced first quarter launch plans for PrendeTV, joining the crowded streaming market with a free, add-supported service created for the U.S. Hispanic audience.

Univision Communications, now under new ownership, has named a fresh slate of executives to lead the company alongside CEO Wade Davis. Pierluigi Gazzolo will become president ad chief transformation officer for the company.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorDonna Speciale, the Madison Avenue veteran, will take over ad sales at Spanish-language broadcaster Univision as that company re-organizes under new management.Univision on Monday named six executives to senior roles at the company, which is now controlled by Searchlight Capital Partners and ForgeLight, with Mexico’s Televisa continuing to control a minority stake. Wade Davis, the former chief financial officer of Viacom, has been leading the investor group, which purchased its 64% stake in the company from Madison Dearborn Partners, Providence Equity Partners, TPG, Thomas H.