The quick summary
TelevisaUnivision is going to the Super Bowl.
Heading into its May 12 upfront event in New York, TelevisaUnivision had three areas of focus for its pitch to advertisers: sports, streaming, and culture through music and live events.
Among the highlights from its offerings, the company announced that it will broadcast Super Bowl 61 in Spanish, it has locked down several new soccer deals, and it will even expand into Formula 1 with Apple.
Beyond sports, the company is leaning into streaming with new microdramas coming to ViX. Meanwhile, TelevisaUnivision is expanding its live music events and announcing partnerships with major artists, including Marc Anthony.
The biggest announcements
In John Kozack’s first upfront as ad sales chief, the company came out with a strong game plan around sports.
Among the highlights, TelevisaUnivision will broadcast Super Bowl LXI in partnership with ESPN. The company’s first Super Bowl, which was in partnership with Paramount in 2024, set a record at the time as the No. 1 Spanish language broadcast of the Super Bowl, averaging 2.3 million viewers across all platforms.
Talking to ADWEEK about the company’s strategy around the Super Bowl, Kozack noted that the playbook comes down to three things: First, for advertisers that buy a spot with Disney, they will get more reach with the audience. Second, advertisers can get into the Super Bowl at a more affordable price. And third, it’s an opportunity for advertisers who are new to TelevisaUnivision.
“Some people who don’t buy the [English-language] Super Bowl can buy it on us and get into it at a much cheaper price point, let’s be clear,” Kozack said. “There’s an opportunity for us to get people in the Super Bowl that haven’t experienced buying Univision before. So it’s a new business vehicle for us as well.”
Beyond the Super Bowl, TelevisaUnivision is continuing its always-on soccer strategy, with new deals for Conmebol. The company also renewed its deal for Concacaf’s Gold Cup and Nations League, and is teaming up with MrBeast for a Gold Cup partnership, establishing a creator-driven event.
Outside of soccer, TelevisaUnivision is also partnering with Apple to air the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
The company will lean into culture and music with tentpole events, including Premios Juventud, which it’s rebranding as PJ Fest.
“We’re making that a weeklong, multi-city cultural event. It’s going to have a big branded content feel to it, with a lot of influencers and social content, culminating in the Thursday event with the award show. But that’s something that our brands can integrate into really well,” Kozack told ADWEEK.
