Univision Clinches Upfront Deal with Starcom USA

CHICAGO/NEW YORK: Univision Communications has announced its largest single-agency Upfront deal, clinching a "video-neutral" pact with Starcom USA and its Tapestry multicultural division that will bring ad dollars from brands like Burger King, Mars/Wrigley and Kellogg to the Hispanic media company’s broadcast, radio and online assets.

The deal encompasses Univision’s two network broadcast networks, three rated cable channels, local TV, radio stations, and online, mobile and social video destinations. “This deal emphasizes that the shift happening in the marketplace is real—one that mirrors the changing demographics of this country and the new American reality the Hispanic boom is driving,” said David Lawenda, the president of advertising sales and marketing at Univision Communications. “Starcom USA and Tapestry recognize that Univision provides an effective solution to balance their clients’ media plans and deliver all target consumers in today’s multicultural and bilingual nation. Univision delivers extraordinary levels of engagement with a young, tech-savvy audience and marketers are actively re-balancing their media plans to tap into the growth that only Univision offers.”

Mike Rosen, the president of activation at Starcom USA, added, “The Upfront marketplace has the tendency to value tradition and legacy over innovation and evolution; we would rather it represent the Forefront of new thinking and approaches to reaching consumers in an ever-changing landscape of content and platforms. The main dialogue of the past few weeks in the industry has centered around the need to break down the walls between traditional TV and digital video, which is absolutely critical, and a key element to this deal. However, we know there are more, equally important walls that need to be torn down, including the ones between multicultural and general market, as well as one between national and local. This groundbreaking partnership with Univision Communications knocks down all those walls, including the shift of some traditionally ‘general market’ English-language media investments to Univision.”