Hispanic TV Summit: Big Events Drive Viewers, Sponsorship Revenue

  By: Mike Farrell

 

Major sporting, music or entertainment events can drive viewership and sponsorship revenue to Hispanic networks, but executives at a panel discussion at Wednesday’s Multichannel News/B&C Hispanic TV Summit said networks should plan well in advance to capitalize on tentpole events.

Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing, senior director, partnership marketing  Alfonso Alanis-Cue said the success of an event also depends on home much excitement a network can create around it before it happens, adding his company created buzz on social media and online as well as traditional channels around World Cup qualifying matches to drive interest.

“From a content perspective, make it an exciting event and the audience will be there,” Alanis-Cue said.

He added that events like the World Cup are long-term – the event occurs once every four years – so planning in advance is essential.

One way to keep up audience interest is through online and mobile efforts, said Telemundo executive vice president digital media and emerging businesses Peter Blacker.

“The key this is you have to aggregate the audience,” Blacker said. “To get the audience aggregated you need to be able to have as much content on as many platforms as possible.”

That means in addition to airing games on traditional TV, and using other platforms like mobile and online to deliver content and information before and after the game, he said.

Partnerships with advertisers and sponsors also can help drive content, said Discovery U.S. Hispanic Networks, Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic vice president of content, Bilai Joa Silar. She pointed to a series the network launched last fall with mega-brewer Heineken called Generation H, (The H is for Hispanic) a 2012 documentary that followed three young Hispanics – a chef, a rock musician and a gallery owner – trying to make it in the United States.

“The client got huge value and we had a ratings lift in our schedule,” Silar said. “Looking at content creation, it’s all about the environment. If you are partnering with an advertiser with the same values as your network, it’s an amazing win.”

Silar also said while advance planning is essential to success, so is getting your brand partners on board early. She noted a program Discovery currently is producing called “Building the World Cup,” a chronicle of how the Brazilian national team is preparing for the soccer championships, the channel has been working closely with its advertising partners from inception of the show.

“We want to know what you want for brand value so we can incorporate it in series,” she said.

Courtesy of Broadcasting & Cable / Multichannel News

 

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