Univision Communications and Hulu announced today an agreement that will bring many of Univision’s Spanish-language novelas, variety shows, comedies and reality series to Hulu and Hulu Plus. This multi-year deal marks the first time Univision’s most popular content has been available online.
The move reflects the makeup of U.S. audiences. Data from the 2010 census found that 50.5 million U.S. residents (16.3 percent) are Hispanic, 35 million of whom speak Spanish at home. Those numbers help keep Univision one of the top five networks in any language, usually between NBC and The CW.
This additional programming will become available by the end of the year, although neither partner is giving specifics beyond saying Hulu users will have next-day access to a selection of current season programming while Hulu Plus subscribers will get access to that plus a deeper catalog. Content from Univision’s channels Telefutura and cable channel Galavision is also included.
“Univision is committed to making the programs Hispanic Americans love accessible anytime and anywhere,” Tonia O’Connor, president, Distribution Sales & Marketing, Univision Communications said in a statement. “We are pleased to enter into this landmark agreement with a partner that shares our passion for super-serving all TV fans with their favorite shows in a rich and user-friendly environment.”
Last month Univision and Clear Channel Radio announced that 45 of Univision Radio’s stations will become available on Clear Channel’s New iHeartRadio, another indicator of Univision’s strategy for growth.
“Since the launch of Hulu, we’ve been focused on delivering the world’s premium content to our users, while building a service that creates value for both advertisers and the content community. This partnership with Univision is a great example of that on all counts,” said Andy Forssell, senior vice president of Content Acquisition for Hulu. “We’re really excited about working with Univision to serve the broad Hispanic audience in the U.S., enabling our advertisers to connect with a young, very fast growing part of the population who haven’t yet been able to access a substantial offering of culturally relevant premium Spanish language content online.”
