UNIVISION $NAPS UP YOUNGER VIEWERS
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Spanish stalwart Univision has been gaining on its English-language rivals for years, but this season it almost caught them in the race for younger viewers.
While ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are still ahead by a long shot in total viewers and adults ages 18 to 49, Univision nearly closed the ratings gap in the 18-to-34 group that advertisers covet. (Like The Post, Fox is owned by News Corp.)
For the season that started in September, Univision is almost tied with CBS in that key category. Univision has been averaging a 1.7 rating in prime time among adults 18 to 34, compared with a 1.8 for CBS, according to Nielsen figures.
Univision, the fifth-biggest network in the country, beat CBS in that category 20 weeks of this season, and ABC and NBC in five of them.
The Spanish-language broadcaster was already bigger than the youth-oriented CW, which garnered just over a 1 rating in the 18-to-34 group, before the Hollywood writers’ strike in November.
Since then, Univision has been able to solidify its lead over the smaller network. Univision didn’t have to fill holes in its programming slate – most of which is imported from Mexico – with reruns and reality shows.
Despite that advantage over its strike-hobbled rivals, ad buyers said Univision’s ratings give ammunition to its argument that it belongs in the same league as the Big Four.
“You have to look at the season with an asterisk because of the strike,” said Brad Adgate, head of research for ad-buying firm Horizon Media. “Still, it points out how far they’ve come.”
Univision is looking to capitalize on its momentum during the “upfront” ad market in May, when the big broadcast networks sell the bulk of their prime-time spots ahead of the new fall season.
“Clearly, we’re gaining a lot of traction,” said David Lawenda, president of ad sales for Univision. “I would argue this will be our best upfront.”
While the CW and Univision both target the 18-to-34 group, CBS skews older than its rivals and doesn’t try to sell advertisers on its ability to attract younger viewers.
Still, ad buyers said advertisers have woken up to Spanish-language media and the sizable Hispanic market, which accounts for more than 15 percent of the US population.
“The big story is that there’s a huge population of viewers that are being served by this network,” said Shari Anne Brill, director of programming for media-buying firm Carat.