Television

In January 2004, ESPN launched ESPN Deportes, a new 24-hour, Spanish-language sports network serving the U.S. Hispanic sports fan.

Univision Communications Inc. unveiled the Galavisión Network’s 2004-2005 lineup during its Upfront presentation at New York’s Lincoln Center.

The TeleFutura Network was launched in January 2002.

Univision Communications Inc. announced its 2004-2005 programming lineup for the Univision Network during its eighth annual Upfront advertising presentation in New York.

mun2 announced the development of several original shows at Telemundo’s Upfront presentation at the Beacon Theater in New York City.

Looking to build on a successful programming strategy with record ratings, including the best Prime delivery among Adults 18-49 in a decade, Telemundo announced an unprecedented 2004-2005 programming schedule which will present 100% original Primetime productions, a first in U.S. Hispanic television history.

Addressing a standing-room only crowd at Noche restaurant, Fox Sports en Español General Manager David Sternberg and Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales Tom Maney attributed the network’s #1 position in sports programming for Spanish-language cable television to strong distribution growth and historic ratings success.

At Sí TV’s first upfront, the English-language Latino network announced that three newly acquired shows will make their basic cable premiere on Sí TV – PBS’ “American Family”, Showtime’s “Resurrection Blvd.”, and The WB’s “Greetings from Tucson” – as well as the addition of five original shows.

Luis J. Echarte, President and CEO of Azteca America, welcomed the gathering and unveiled stations in Brownsville-McAllen, TX (K64FM Channel 64), Tampa, FL (WXAX Channel 26), Hartford, CT (WHCT Channel 38); Raleigh-Durham, NC (WHOA Channel 44) and Boise, ID (KCBB Channel 51). Together with existing markets, the network is in cities that account for 78% of the US Hispanic households.

mun2 television is offering Latino singers and independent filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work in two of its upcoming new shows. “La Familia Perfecta,” a one-hour reality show that profiles the lives of six new artists, is casting singers between the ages of 18 to 25, while “The Reel Project”, a show that exposes independent film makers and their movies, is looking for up-and-coming filmmakers.

While observers in the general market tussle about network and cable’s haul in the looming upfront, there’s another part of the TV spectrum that’s almost assured to increase when all is said and done: Hispanic TV.

Last year’s Hispanic upfront took in about $1 billion of the $3 billion overall Spanish-language television marketplace, further evidence of the explosive growth of Hispanics in the United States and the television networks that serve them. Most experts don’t think the growth will slow down in 2004-05, as more networks come into the market, both on broadcast and cable.

Fox Sports en Español continues to set new ratings records with its live, mid-week telecasts of the prestigious South American soccer competition Copa Toyota Libertadores. Fox Sports en Español’s telecasts of the 2004 Copa since the end of January have given the channel the top spot in delivery of Hispanic households for live sports programming in all of Spanish-language cable television for the broadcast 2004 year to date, according to Nielsen Media Research.