NATPE: US Hispanic nets ‘overtaking English-language rivals’

US Hispanic networks such as Univision are beginning to overtake their English-language counterparts in the States, a new report suggests.

Gains in the key 18-49 demographics means market leader Univison and its Spanish-language peers are now surpassing the English-language ‘Big Five’ – ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW, according to the Understanding Latin America: Current Trends in the TV Market report.

Other key findings from the study – which comes from UK-based K7 Media, Ethel Pis Diez research team/Austral University, formats body FRAPA and Argentinian news site Prensario International – show Brazil and Mexico dominate Latin American television with about 75%-80% of the entire market.

Argentina, meanwhile, is now producing more than 2,000 hours of programming for export each year, while law and regulatory changes in the region have led to a rise in the volume and quality of original domestic and international content .

The report’s authors say this has made the region “more attractive” to international investors, and conclude by stating Latin America is now a “creative powerhouse for TV production”.

Historically, Latin America has been best known on the international market for its long-running telenovelas, which work in eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East but rarely elsewhere.

In related news, Univision has acquired 40% of satirical news website The Onion.