Mario San Román

 April 2008

In the last decade, TV Azteca has positioned itself as a leading producer of Spanish-language content, and it’s the second-largest free-TV broadcaster in Mexico, where it operates Azteca 13 and Azteca 7, two national networks targeting young adults. Together they capture 40 percent of the highest socio-economic audience group and about 30 percent of the ad spend. TV Azteca’s assets also include the Mexican cultural channel Proyecto 40; Azteca America, a channel for the U.S. Hispanic market; the cable channel Azteca Internacional, which reaches Latin America, Canada and Europe; online services; and other interests. Mario San Román joined the company in 1998 as VP of Azteca 13 and has led the company as CEO since 2004. In this exclusive interview, San Román shares his vision for the future.

WS: What are some of the company’s recent achievements?

SAN ROMÁN: Remaining competitive in the Mexican TV market will always be important and challenging. It is one of the most demanding markets in the world for a simple reason: Mexico has the most important Spanish-language television producers in the world. There are also two broadcasters that buy the best content from other countries. Mexican consumers are becoming more demanding every day, and they need to be wowed every time, not only with [a variety of] genres but with quality productions as well. An audience that watches the best of what’s going on in the world wants the best possible look with the best technology.

TV Azteca has always been a top competitor in Mexican television, and its content has been very successful in the more than 150 countries where we’ve sold it. This year, as always, we are going to make changes in our programming. The television year in Mexico isn’t broken into seasons like other broadcasters in the world. New programs premiere almost every month here. It’s dynamic television, and you can’t be left behind.

WS: What future challenges do you foresee?

SAN ROMÁN:  We need to consolidate our position in the U.S.—it is our main source of growth for the future. We will fight to take ratings from the major players [Univision and Telemundo], but we’re not intimidated, because that’s how we started in Mexico [when we went up against market leader Televisa]. We have to compete against established broadcasters for Hispanic viewership in the U.S., but we believe we have the content and distribution to do it.

We also have a big challenge with Proyecto 40, our third channel in Mexico. We’re aiming for a different kind of television. Proyecto 40 is an alternative for those who can’t find something different on free-TV networks. It’s a cultural channel, but it’s not boring—we believe that culture is also entertainment. It’s the first channel in Mexico that is open to different social, cultural and artistic expressions. It also complements advertisers’ messages and their marketing strategies.

We’re also on the move with the Internet. We’re remaking our entire online strategy and we think we’ll have a very good offering by mid-year. TV Azteca, as a content developer, will be producing for every possible platform. TV Azteca will soon undergo an interesting expansion in Mexico and in foreign markets.

WS: What can you say about the performance of Azteca Internacional?

SAN ROMÁN: It’s been very good. It’s a channel that serves the needs of cable operators in Latin America. Many clients have a tendency to invest in pan-regional advertising, and this is a good alternative for them, with content that has already been proved in the most important market in Latin America. We’re already present in many countries in the region and we expect audience growth. Sales are good, given the short time the channel’s been available. We want to offer more channels to cable operators in the region.

WS: What programming synergies are there between TV Azteca and Azteca America, given that the Hispanic audience in the U.S. is so diverse?

SAN ROMÁN: It’s clear to us that successful content from Mexico will be successful in the U.S. Some programs, like Mexican news, won’t be. There may be some people in the U.S. that want to see news, but it must be made specifically for Azteca America and for the different markets in the U.S. But telenovelas, series or soccer games are international and have great appeal. If you look at market-leader Univision’s slate, for example, or TeleFutura’s, you’ll find that the majority of their successful content is produced in Mexico.