• Multichannel News, Monday, December 1, 2008 10:15 AM

This year saw growth in advertising revenue for Spanish-language television slow down from double digits to a mere 0.3% in the first eight months of 2008, to $2.11 billion, per TNS. The outlook for next year is only a little brighter.

"I think we'll see 2% or 3% growth [in Spanish-language TV] in 2009," says José Cancela, principal of marketing communications firm Hispanic USA. Top developments that will impact that growth rate include the courthouse showdown Jan. 6 between the nation's largest Spanish-language media company and its programming supplier Grupo Televisa. The outcome of the trial could strip Univision of its supply of prime-time telenovelas, which account for the network's impressive ratings and a good deal of its ad revenue.

Next year will also see the beginning of major advertising deals surrounding the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. The event is an important revenue source for Univision, which holds sole Spanish-language rights in the U.S. However rivals, such as ESPN, Fox Sports and GolTV, are already in full swing crafting marketing programs around high-profile World Cup pre-qualifying and qualifying matches.

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