• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 18, 2011

With the television upfront, Discovery US Hispanic is blitzing media buyers with an array of new and returning Spanish-language programs for Discovery en Español and Discovery Familia, including original content, as well as Spanish-language versions of popular content from almost a dozen other Discovery channels.

Discovery US Hispanic promises "monthly stunts, epic mega productions, 50 new series and 30 new seasons of top-rated shows."

The upcoming season will include Spanish-language versions of "Frozen Planet," with visits to the polar regions; "Destination 2111," predicting what life will be like in Latin America in 2111; "Out of the Wild: Venezuela" and "Living Under the Radar," which looks at the ongoing controversy over illegal immigration and its impact on the lives of ordinary people.

Discovery Familia's offerings going into the upfront season include "Early Intervention," showing parents working with experts to correct their child's behavioral problems, "Extreme Couponing," following the antics of discount-hunting pros, and "Maxed Out," about households mired in consumer debt.

Both channels also have positive ratings news to report. Discovery Familia claims it will reach 4 million Hispanic TV homes in 2011, delivering an audience of Hispanic mothers and preschool-age children. Discovery en Español highlighted its commitment to measurement with C3 NTI ratings beginning in October.

Last week, Discovery US Hispanic announced that it is working with Discovery Solutions, also owned by parent company Discovery Communications, to begin offering Spanish-language advertisers new ad formats and brand integration possibilities.

The new Spanish-language creative in-house media solutions shop aims to help advertisers amplify and distribute marketing messages with customizable formats, marketing outreach and digital and branded entertainment expertise. According to the company, it has already completed 450 Spanish-language branded entertainment deals in 2010 alone.

Some of Discovery Hispanic's early efforts have included interstitials for General Motors on Planet Green and Discovery en Español. Other brands that have already worked with Discovery for custom Spanish-language ad solutions include Levi's, Sprint, American Airlines and T-Mobile, with work covering integrated custom series and short-form content.

Compared to other ethnic groups, Hispanics are the fastest-growing TV audience in the United States, according to Nielsen. It found that the total number of Hispanic TV-tuning households increased from 12.66 million in 2009 to 12.95 million in 2010 -- a growth rate of 2.3%.

Moreover, U.S. Hispanics are also wielding more spending power, increasing to over $1 trillion in 2010. Hispanics of Mexican origin alone wielded an estimated buying power of $616 billion in 2010.