Hispanic TV Summit: For Content, Connections Matter

With the vast number of entertainment choices available to all consumers, getting the Hispanic community to pay for content specifically targeted to their community must connect personally with them, according to a panel session at last Thursday’s Hispanic TV Summit.

“If we want to win community back and keep them there, we must care,” said INTI TV anchor Claudia Lizaldi, at a panel session entitled “What Hispanic Viewers Will Pay to Watch. “We are making content that cares about people, cares about their lives, and that adds value.”

For sports network Fox Deportes that means providing live sports programming that the particular community wants, with soccer coming in at No. 1, followed by boxing. Vice president of business development and growth initiatives Angelina Losada said those viewers don’t just expect high-quality games, but credible talent and top-notch production values.

“They expect the best,” Losada said.

At BBC Studios, director of content sales Sebastian Trujillo said the advent of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have transformed the market.

“We lived in the land of the novela,” Trujillio said. “The market has adapted and evolved, no doubt that now with Netflix and Amazon, it goes beyond the Cinderella story. We want to be at the intersection of opportunity, to use our studios and our capabilities.”

He added that the biggest movement lately is for in-language programming, Spanish-language versions of their top English language shows like Luther and Sherlock.

“We see that opportunity expanding,” Trujillo said.

For distributors, packaging and pricing are paramount, according to Charter Communications vice president multicultural marketing Marisol Martinez.

Charter introduced Spectrum TV Choice in February, a skinny bundle package that allows customers to watch the broadcast networks, 25 Music Choice channels and select 10 additional channels to complete the package.

“For us it’s about options, not one-size-fits-all,” Martinez said. “We offer different packages at different price points, but with value and the flexibility to choose.

By Mike Farrell
Courtesy of Broadcasting & Cable / Multichannel News