By MIKE SHIELDS
Looks like Univision Communications wants its own “multi-channel network.”
The U.S. Hispanic-targeted broadcaster has announced the launch of the Univision Creators Network (UCN), a hand-picked network of content producers from YouTube, Vine and other video outlets. Univision says the new network is responsible for over 118 million video views each month. And, interestingly, most of these creators produce content in English.
With the announcement, made at the Web video gathering VidCon, Univision is seemingly looking to emulate the model popularized by the likes of Fullscreen and Machinima. According to a press release, Univision will use UCN both to develop new talent and also help advertisers reach these creators’ young, often bilingual fans (fans the company has dubbed ‘billennials’). Univision will share ad revenue with the creators.
Univision, of course, isn’t the only broadcast-centric company looking for alternative means of reaching Millennials. For example, last year, Walt Disney Co. acquired the MCN Maker Studios in a deal that could be worth close to $1 billion. Yahoo’s Tumblr has even stitched together a network of its top creators to help connect them with brands.
And as The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, Comcast Corp. is eyeing Millennial-focused Web publishers like Vice Media and BuzzFeed for potential investments or other deals. Like Univision, most big media companies are grappling with the realization that young people don’t watch traditional “linear” TV like they used to.
Hence, Univision’s plans for UCN. ”We are leveraging the best of the Univision portfolio with the appropriate audience and advertising base to build an influential network of content creators to target these billennials,” said Steven Benanav, Univision’s vice president of content partnerships, in a prepared statement.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
