Latin Grammy’s en Español; How much more proof do you need?
November 16, 2009
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.
