Spanish-language media company TelevisaUnivision reported U.S. advertising revenues fell 29 percent and total U.S. revenues fell 11 percent to $722 million in the second quarter when its rival, NBCUniversal’s Telemundo, offered Spanish-language rights to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The company said U.S. advertising results reflected “cyclical weakness in our business due to competitive sports programming.” In Mexico, advertising revenue rose 23% to $353 million, driven by the FIFA World Cup.
The company’s second-quarter total revenue increased 10 percent to $1.3 billion, “driven by 53 percent growth in Mexico following a record-breaking performance at the FIFA World Cup with 675 million total viewers across the line and [streamer] But its operating income fell to $224 million from $241 million, while adjusted OIBDA income fell by $388 million from $398 million in the same period last year, TelevisaUnivision said.
Total quarterly subscription and licensing revenue jumped 40 percent to $621 million, “driven by approximately $90 million of revenue attributable to sublicensing of FIFA World Cup rights in other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, expansion of ViX’s premium tier and higher linear distribution revenues,” the company said. “In the U.S., it grew 8 percent to $377 million, driven by growth in ViX’s premium tiers, the company’s partnership with Hulu Live TV and higher average prices. In Mexico, it grew 157 percent to $245 million, driven by strong content licensing revenues and growth in ViX’s premium tier.”
The company said operating expenses increased by 16%, or 11% when excluding foreign exchange impacts, “driven mainly by sporting costs associated with the FIFA World Cup.” High expenses reached the bottom line.
“TelevisaUnivision achieved strong financial results in the second quarter, driven by the record success of our FIFA World Cup coverage,” said Daniele Allegri, CEO of TelevisaUnivision. “The tournament reinforced why soccer is a cornerstone of our strategy and why we are the ‘Home of Football’ for Hispanics. Sports, combined with our ongoing investments in live events and premium entertainment, ensure we remain the destination for culturally significant moments.”
“Combined with our unique connection to our audiences and the importance of our platforms ahead of the US election cycle, this momentum positions us well to achieve sustainable profitability while creating greater value for our audiences, advertisers and partners,” the CEO concluded.
