- Streaming platforms are hunting for live sports rights to grow their audiences. These viewers are increasingly watching in Spanish.
- Media companies such as TelevisaUnivision, Canela Media, NBCUniversal’s Telemundo and Peacock, Disney’s ESPN+ and Amazon’s Prime Video all rely on Spanish-language sports content.
- Hispanic viewers have been “at the forefront of cancellation,” making them a key demographic for streaming growth.
Roberto Firmino of Liverpool shoots under pressure from Eder Militao of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Anfield on April 14, 2021 in Liverpool, England.
Shaun Botterill | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Streaming platforms are hunting for live sports rights to grow their audiences. These viewers are increasingly watching in Spanish.
Media companies that already targeted Hispanic audiences, such as TelevisaUnivision and the young Canela Media, are expanding their rights and content for sports, while traditional English-language streamers, such as NBCUniversal’s Peacock with Telemundo content, Disney’s ESPN+ and Prime Video Amazon, simulcast add content in Spanish.
It’s an attempt to diversify viewership and advertising opportunities — and capitalize on a growing Hispanic streaming audience.
“Sports is the pinnacle of premium content that can really help a streaming service,” said Shirin Malkani, co-chair of the sports industry group at law firm Perkins Coie. “If you offer it in both Spanish and English, you may not double your audience, but you definitely increase it by a large percentage. “They’re reaching an audience that I would argue that maybe we haven’t done a great job of sourcing sports content.”
According to a recent Nielsen study based on viewing habits in July, Hispanic audiences spend nearly nine hours per day consuming media, with the majority of that coming from television viewers. The study found that Hispanic audiences were “at the forefront of cord cutting,” making them a growing majority of streaming viewers.
According to the results, Hispanic viewers spend more than 50% of their TV time on streaming, surpassing the general population at nearly 40%.
“When I think about the Latino space in particular… I think it’s a great opportunity,” said Eli Velazquez, executive vice president of Telemundo Deportes. “Latinos are pretty much the youngest demographic of any group, at around 13 years old, and they are the earliest adopters of technology. They enjoy consuming content on streaming platforms.”
Traditional media companies everywhere have been spending money on sports as live games continue to reach the most traditional television viewers. These companies are also struggling to make their streaming providers profitable, with sports being a key subscriber driver.
The most important value driver is the increasing popularity of soccer in the USA
Hispanic audiences have long been loyal fans of the sport, which is now gaining traction in American households, helped recently and in part by soccer legend Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.
Disney’s ESPN+ recently acquired the rights to Spanish league LaLiga in both languages for a period of eight years.
Targeting Spanish-language programming not only allows media companies to build their streaming subscriber base across diverse demographics, but also opens up new advertising opportunities as ad-based subscription tiers help streaming platforms move toward profitability.
“You can really deliver a personalized, tailored ad load to the Spanish audience and potentially to a different set of advertisers,” Malkani said.
According to one streamer, Peacock has already reaped the benefits of its sports offering.
Parent company Comcast touted its growing portfolio — including Spanish-language sports — in a recent earnings call, noting that the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar helped the company add 5 million subscribers in the fourth quarter.
Lionel Messi of Argentina reacts during the penalty shootout during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.
Julian Finney | Getty Images
According to Telemundo Deportes, streaming accounted for 30% of total viewership for the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, compared to 9% in 2018.
Telemundo and Peacock broadcast the games in Spanish. Fox owns the English language rights.
Peacock, which has relied heavily on its cheaper, ad-supported offering, had 24 million subscribers as of June 30. Other streamers like Netflix and Disney+ have followed suit with ad-supported subscription options.
“I think accessibility and convenience are why we’re focusing more on the streaming product,” Velazquez said, noting that he often works with the NBC Sports and Peacock teams to determine the best streaming strategy for Telemundo’s sports find.
Peacock also broadcasts Spanish-language broadcasts of some Premier League soccer games and the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football.”
The cross-language NFL media rights are sold to U.S. media companies, which can then sublicense them to other companies if they don’t have a Spanish-language outlet.
Amazon’s Prime Video, the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football,” also offers a Spanish-language simulcast each week.
“It’s really cool when you have a hardcore fan base that learns [the sport] and follows the show on Thursday nights,” said Rolando Cantu, a former NFL player and analyst for “TNF en Espanol.” “Now we’re part of Latino culture, and Spanish-speaking people want to engage and consume our show.”
Meanwhile, TelevisaUnivision will broadcast the Super Bowl in Spanish in 2024, although it is unclear whether it will be available on both traditional television and streaming via the company’s Vix platform, which launched in 2022.
Paramount’s television network CBS will air the English-language version of the game on television and streaming.
TelevisaUnivision has secured additional sports rights to expand its audience. Streaming provides an additional platform to broadcast more games.
High-profile football matches from the English Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A often take place simultaneously, making it difficult to get space on traditional broadcast channels.
“Five years ago it was very difficult for us to put anything on screen because as a football fan you know that most football takes place on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and sometimes Monday. “So there’s obviously overlap, right?” said Olek Loewenstein, global president of sports at TelevisaUnivision, adding that it’s difficult to appeal to different audiences and soccer fan bases.
“This is where streaming comes into play. With the Argentine league we can suddenly serve the Argentinians and with the Brazilian league we can serve the Brazilians,” said Loewenstein.
TelevisaUnivision recently extended its deal for UEFA Champions League rights, paying about $225 million over three years, according to a person familiar with the matter. TelevisaUnivision will also broadcast major soccer events next summer, including the Copa America tournament and the UEFA European Games. This is in addition to the rights to broadcast other football leagues, such as Liga MX.
“Premium rates in the last 10 years [for sports rights] have increased exponentially and non-premium rights are starting to disappear,” said Loewenstein. “People are betting on the premium rights out there because they drive either audiences or subscriptions.”
Loewenstein said the amount invested in sports now is the highest he’s seen at TelevisaUnivision in 2011. Offering more to viewers, he said, has played a key role in Vix’s growth.
“I need to be able to convince you to come back next month or next week. And I think sport plays a big role in that,” said Loewenstein. “For us, sport was a very important part of the base’s growth strategy.”
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC, Telemundo and Peacock.
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