The dominant player in the American Spanish-language media market is investing heavily in soccer rights as part of its streaming push.
TelevisaUnivision recorded an 11% year-over-year increase in revenue to $1.1 billion but took a $7.5 million loss in the second quarter, compared to a $54.4 million profit in Q2 2021.
- The company, which claims a 63.2% market share of Spanish-language television in the U.S. during prime time, launched its ad-supported streaming service ViX in March, and paid service, ViX+ last week.
- “We are investing a significant amount of incremental dollars in content and sports rights [for ViX] above and beyond our networks,” said TelevisaUnivision president Pierluigi Gazzolo.
- In May, the network struck deals for UEFA’s Euro 2024 and Euro 2028 tournaments and the Concacaf Champions League.
Televisa and Univision closed their $4.8 billion merger in January. The company announced a $1.5 billion debt refinancing last month.
‘Home of Soccer’
The self-proclaimed “home of soccer” also holds rights to MLS at $15 million per season, as well as those for La Liga, Liga MX, Copa America, and Copa MX. It also has partnerships with NFL and MLB teams, and holds rights to Combate Americas.
Advertising revenue grew 11% year-over-year in Q2 to $668.6 million, and the company expects a bump in the second half from the World Cup.
