Observed Signal · Apr 27, 2026 · Leadership Change · Source: Adweek · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
TelevisaUnivision Replaces Ad Sales Chief Ahead of Upfronts
TelevisaUnivision has replaced its ad sales leader: Tim Natividad, who served less than a year in the role, is departing and John Kozack — a more-than-two-decade company veteran — will take over. CEO Daniel Alegre informed staff in a memo that Natividad is leaving for "personal reasons." The change comes weeks before the annual TV upfront presentations, when publishers present to advertisers to secure major ad commitments. The announcement was reported by Adweek on 2026-04-27.
Leadership change at a major publisher’s ad-sales organization days/weeks before TV upfronts can affect advertiser negotiations, upfront commitments and sales strategy, making it moderately important to media buyers and agency planners.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- TelevisaUnivision announced a change in its ad-sales leadership on 2026-04-27.
- Tim Natividad, who took the ad-sales leader role less than a year ago, is departing.
- John Kozack, a TelevisaUnivision employee with over two decades of experience, will replace Natividad.
- CEO Daniel Alegre said in an internal memo that Natividad is leaving for "personal reasons."
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
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.
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.
Entravision Elevates Leadership to Boost U.S. Media Strategy
Entravision announced promotions across its U.S. Media leadership team. Maria Martinez-Guzman was named President of Entravision Media, Eduardo Maytorena was named President of Entravision Audio, and Winter Horton was named Chief Revenue Officer; all three will report to CEO Michael Christenson. The moves are intended to focus leadership on serving Latino audiences and advertisers, driving sales, and modernizing operations. Additional internal changes include Mark Boelke serving as Chief Operating Officer in addition to Chief Financial Officer; Jeff DeMartino promoted to Chief Legal Officer; Jessica Martinez named EVP of Digital Products & Operations; LeaAnna Hernandez named EVP of AI Strategy; and Fred Roggin named President of Entravision Digital.
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