Univision should be singing. And the name of the song should be, “I Told You so.”
On one of the toughest nights in television, the Spanish-language network kicked some serious ratings butt. Up against the English-language powerhouse programs “CSI,” “Gray’s Anatomy,” “The Mentalist,” “Survivor” and “Flash-forward,” Univision proved yet again, that in the youthful demographics that advertisers salivate over; Spanish is the language that touches them.
I’m talking of course, about Thursday, November 5, the night Univision filled its entire prime time from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. with the award show “Latin Grammy 2009.” Admittedly, it was a special night, and a special show. But the nature of the show - a celebration and commemoration of Spanish-language music — only serves to prove the point even more.
How else can you explain a three-hour long block of Spanish programming leading Univision to come in as the #2 Broadcast Network among 18- to 34-year-old adults and all persons from 12 to 34? That’s better than CBS, NBC, FOX, and CW - for the entire night!
Among the massively desirable 18- to 34-year-old adult segment, Univision brought in more viewers than any of CBS’s most popular Thursday night shows. It did even better against NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” and more than doubled the audience of viewers in that age group for “The Jay Leno Show.” (And that’s on a night when “The Jay Leno Show,” which was supposed to save NBC’s plummeting ratings, boasted a 7% increase in its lackluster ratings.)
Among the broader 18 to 49-year-old adult demographic, the “Latin Grammy 2009” telecast beat ABC’s “Flash-forward,” NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” and “The Jay Leno Show,” along with the entire programming lineup on both FOX and the CW. That’s the demo that the network sales departments like to trot out when they’re trying to attract advertising dollars.
The results are even more dramatic when you focus on some of the big, key, markets in the country. The Latin Grammy awards show was the most-watched program among adults 18 to 49 years old in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Sacramento. It tied for first place in Chicago. It was number one among 18 to 34-year-old adults and all of those cities, including Chicago. The same is true for all persons between the ages of 12 and 34, and among teens 12 to 17. Teens!
In Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix, the Latin Grammy awards show attracted more 18- to 34-year-old viewers than ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX - combined. It did the same thing among 18- to 49-year-old adults in Los Angeles, Miami and Houston.
The big winner of the night was the reggaeton group Calle 13, which won five of the 49 award categories during the show with their Latin hip-hop style record, including Album of the Year. The album is called “Los de Atras Vienen Conmigo,” which means, “Those Behind are Coming with Me.”
Hmmm. There might be a lesson in that title for those who say the Spanish language is not here to stay, because it might just be that those who refuse to recognize the power of Spanish will be the ones who get left behind.
By Jose Cancela
Jose Cancela is Principal of Hispanic USA Inc, a full service Hispanic Market Communications firm. He has also the author of “The Power of Business en Español, Seven Fundamental Keys to Unlocking the Potential of the Spanish Language Hispanic Market” Rayo / HarperCollins.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
With all due respect, don’t you think that it was content what made possible this success for Univision? Your article implied that Spanish had “everything” to do with the ratings that the Latin Grammy’s got on Thursday night. I don’t agree with that assumption. What this is showing us is that music is what ties the younger Hispanic generation (who are English dominant) with their Hispanic culture.
Regards,
Jose-Guillermo Diaz
fourdiaz vargas
November 16th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
In today’s world there is no question that it is all about aggregating audiences. This is a perfect example that when there is a top-quality international entertainment event, Spanish television is still the most effective medium for aggregating young Latinos who may live in both worlds. To this audience it is all about the exclusivity, experience and the value. That is the premise underlying Spanish television and also the promise which has been sustained since the beginning. Thank you Jose for keeping this truth at the forefront of the dialogue.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Jose, there is no Spanish-language music, or Spanish-language TV, or Spanish-language events. As U.S. Hispanics we do not connect with Univision or Telemundo or others because they are in Spanish, we connect with them because the content is relevant to our identities, values, tastes and aspirations.
There is only Hispanic targeted media. There are Hispanic targeted events and there is Latin Music. Whenever we refer to ourselves as Spanish-language agencies, or Spanish-language media we are working against ourselves. We feed a general perception held by mainstream media, mainstream agencies and U.S. marketers that people who consume “Spanish-language” media are people who are Spanish-language dependent and therefore of lesser affluence and lesser value to the marketer.
Tony Ruiz
The Vidal Partnership
November 17th, 2009 at 5:51 am
Tony, well said!
November 17th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Interesting article but how does Univision do year round against P18-34 in comparison to the other Nets? In my mind, that should be the real question.
Why throw up an anecdotal reference to one night with one blockbuster event on Univision in an effort to validate the worthiness of Hispanic TV?
November 17th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
There are many things at play when dissecting the Nielsen television ratings for this year’s Latin Grammy Awards, televised on Univision.
First, Hispanic television (outside of Miami) continues to be powered by the 18-34 demographic, based on sheer population numbers.
Second, music drives teens and kids under 10 to the television, especially when it involves the top stars of a popular, hip genre - like reggaeton, Latin hip-hop, contemporary Spanish pop and the singers of baladas that make women want to weep.
Put it all together and you have a recipe for success that is even more passionate than that for the waning “American Idol” and “Dancing With The Stars.” Plus - they are YOUNGER and more appealing consumers for advertisers than DWTS, which is skewing 45+ each and every week.
It was not too long ago when the Latin Grammys were a ratings turkey for CBS. There was discussion on whether or not they could survive, given the “lackluster interest.”
There was never any lackluster interest - there was only lackluster commitment, from CBS. It was on the wrong channel and produced and promoted by the wrong people.
Univision understands the Hispanic market. It was a perfect move for an awards show that has become highly relevant to Latinos across the U.S.
Plus, it has become highly relevant to Latinos no matter their language preference for the very reasons Tony Ruiz of The Vidal Partnership so eloquently shares. It is not about “Spanish-language music.” It is about Latin music.
The power of Latin music in the U.S. will continue to rise. Liberman saw tremendous ratings success with its recent salute to regional Mexican music, “Los Premios del Radio,” at its KRCA-Channel 62 in Los Angeles. Hispanic radio stations will be the ratings drivers for the entire industry in the top Hispanic DMAs in just a few short years (assuming they embrace and/or get Arbitron to fix the PPM “flaws”).
Sure, the Latin Grammys were on opposite some heavy-hitters on the English-language networks. But that can be TiVo’d. A live awards show with the top acts appearing on-stage can’t. And with more and more viewers in the U.S. interested in this programming, a CMO in an office somewhere in this nation might finally start to “get it” when it comes to Hispanic marketing.
The future is here. The Latin Grammys only cemented that fact.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Thank you, guys! I see that finally there are a few trying to bring Cancela into reality. Thanks again!
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Al igual que algunos de ustedes han opinado, considero que lo que atrajo a los televidentes latinos y no latinos a ver los “Latin Grammy’s”, fue su contenido y no el programa. En contenido me refiero a los artistas y actos musicales que se presentaron en el evento. En un principio estos premios fueron conducidos en ingles, aunque eran los Grammy’s latinos. Situación a la cual los conductores del programa Lucero y Derbez, hacen referencia al inicio de la transmisión, dando una lista de las 5 razones por la cual los Grammy’s Latinos ya no se conducen en español. Ante esto, considero que los organizadores de los Grammy’s latinos, consideran como ganancia que este haya dominado a nivel nacional en un horario, que normalmente esta dominado por las cadenas americanas. Que bueno que los Grammy’s Latinos son en español, porque al fin y al cabo su grupo objeto somos los latinos… y que hablamos los latinos? español.