SNL Kagan -Huge Growth in Hispanic TV and Radio

Hispanics are the country’s fastest-growing ethnic group but have lower penetration rates for multichannel video packages, according to SNL Kagan’s newest study, “Economics of Hispanic TV Radio in the U.S., 2008 Edition.” This report estimates that 71.6% of Hispanic TV households had a multichannel subscription in 2007, compared to 87.6% for the entire U.S., making Hispanics an important target for cable and satellite distributors.

As the Hispanic population grows quickly, distributors are lining up to capture revenues from the demographic and advertisers are seeking markets in which to reach it. SNL Kagan estimates that Hispanic multichannel homes could increase to 9.7 million in 2011 from 8.7 million in 2007, while Hispanic TV homes are projected to grow to 13.4 million from 12.1 million in the same period.

“The recognition of a growing audience with increasing buying power has highlighted the importance of targeting the Hispanic population,” said Deana Myers, senior analyst for SNL Kagan. “Spanish-language broadcast networks have been rapidly growing over the past several years, attracting new advertisers, while English-speaking broadcast networks have struggled during the same time period to generate minor growth in advertising dollars.”

The four major U.S. Hispanic broadcast networks — Telemundo, Univision, Telefutura, and Azteca America — had estimated combined revenues of $1.3 billion for 2007, with that figure expected to top $1.6 billion in 2011. Combined cash flow could generate greater growth, jumping to $627 million in 2011 from $460 million in 2006.

Hispanic TV stations can expect slower revenue growth at about 5.4% annually through 2011. SNL Kagan expects Hispanic radio revenue to increase 6% in 2008 to $1.21 billion, outpacing the overall industry’s expected growth of 2% to 3%. Over the next four years, radio station revenues are expected to grow at a 4.9% CAGR.