For years, ESPN’s flagship program, SportsCenter, has been the most widely-watched in-studio sports news and highlights show on television.
So when a Spanish language in-studio sports show beats SportsCenter in the ratings, it’s time to take notice.
Contacto Deportivo is Univision Deportes’ nightly in-studio show that feeds sports-hungry fans with highlights, game stats, and inside stories on the teams and leagues they care about most with a focus on Hispanic athletes. In the last year, the show has gone through a transformation including a completely refurbished set, new use of virtual technology, and a new roster of talent starring Lindsay Casinelli and Adriana Monsalve.
The show airs live on Univision every weekday at midnight with a simulcast on UDN and averaged 542,000 Total Viewers 2+ in August, besting the midnight edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter by +5%.
Contacto Deportivo viewership increased +213% year-over-year among Total Viewers 2+ and +170% among Adults 18-49 in August, making it the fastest-growing sports news program on all television in both demos, regardless of language. Conversely, the SportsCenter audience declined -8% among both Total Viewers 2+ and Adults 18-49.
The undeniable viewership growth of Contacto Deportivo is due to many factors, including improved production quality, soccer’s continuing rise in participation and popularity in America amplified by the ratings success of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, and the emerging power of the Hispanic viewer. But, from all of this, there is one thing that should be clear: “Deportes” is not just a word in Spanish; it has become an American phenomenon.
Source: Nielsen, NPM, L+SD data, weekday TCs only
