Observed Signal · May 12, 2026 · Upfront Presentation · Source: Adweek · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
TelevisaUnivision Brings Super Bowl to Upfront
ESPN has agreed with TelevisaUnivision to provide two separate Spanish-language telecasts of Super Bowl LXI in the United States: ESPN Deportes and Univision will each produce their own presentations with dedicated commentary teams, while the English-language telecast will air on ESPN and ABC. The deal expands Spanish-language access ahead of ESPN’s first Super Bowl production and builds on Univision’s prior Spanish-language NFL broadcasts. ESPN and TelevisaUnivision executives framed the move as a way to better reach Hispanic audiences. The launch is part of ESPN’s broader Super Bowl rollout, which may include alternate telecasts (e.g., a ManningCast-style option) and a Disney ad campaign promoting the event. Additional operational details about the Spanish telecasts will be announced later.
Announces premium sports and streaming inventory (Spanish-language Super Bowl, soccer rights, F1) and expanded short-form content — creating new advertising opportunities across linear and streaming that could alter media-buying plans for advertisers targeting Hispanic and bilingual audiences.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ESPN reached an agreement with TelevisaUnivision to provide Spanish-language coverage for Super Bowl LXI in the U.S.
- ESPN Deportes and Univision will each produce separate Spanish-language telecasts with dedicated commentary teams.
- The English-language telecast will be carried on ESPN and ABC.
- ESPN’s Super Bowl LXI production will be the network’s first time producing the Super Bowl; ESPN Deportes will deliver its fourth Super Bowl presentation.
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TelevisaUnivision Upfront Pitch: 'We Get Hispanics'
TelevisaUnivision positioned its 2026 upfront around a three‑pronged pitch to advertisers: sports, streaming and culture. John Kozack, who recently became President of U.S. Advertising Sales and Marketing after Tim Natividad’s April departure, told AdExchanger the company can deliver advertisers reach into US Hispanic audiences, which he described as a $4 trillion economic force. TelevisaUnivision says ViX is the fastest‑growing U.S. streaming service regardless of language and highlighted ViX MicrO, its short‑form vertical video product airing brand‑sponsored microdramas. The company also announced exclusive Spanish‑language streaming rights in 2027 for the Super Bowl and the Gold Cup and cited internal data that roughly half its audience does not watch English‑language sports elsewhere. Kozack emphasized the company’s audience graph (claimed to reach 98% of US Hispanics) as a solution to underrepresentation in third‑party data.
TelevisaUnivision Ads Chief Energized After Rapid Upfront
John Kozack, TelevisaUnivision’s new ad sales leader, took charge of the company’s upfront presentation after a surprise leadership change just weeks before the event. Kozack — a two-decade company veteran — said his prior backstage role smoothed the transition and that the company will emphasize three priorities in the upfront: sports (particularly year-round soccer), streaming via ViX (including its ViX 360 product and recent Roku partnership), and culture through music and live events. Kozack highlighted continued investment in linear programming and reported quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year ratings growth. He also noted success with short-form “microdramas,” which have surpassed 1 billion views and posted a 48% quarter-over-quarter increase in viewership.
Disney Elevates Super Bowl and Live Events in Upfront
At its New York upfront presentation, Disney centered its advertising pitch on premium live events — led by Super Bowl LXI — and a cluster of marquee awards and sports properties clustered in early 2027. The company promoted cross‑brand inventory across ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, ABC and FX, announced a Super Bowl fan hub and week‑long ESPN content activation on Santa Monica Beach ahead of the Feb. 14, 2027 game, confirmed the Grammys will air on ABC and stream on Disney+ and Hulu (Feb. 7, 2027), extended its CMA relationship through 2032, and revealed that the Savannah Bananas’ Banana Bowl will stream exclusively on Disney+ this fall. Executives including Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and global ads president Rita Ferro highlighted strong advertiser demand for the Big Game and live-event marketing opportunities.
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