If Nielsen were to monitor my home TV they would have to wonder: is this thing on? I have not watched a novela since the 1990s, and I’m not a fan of some of the most popular shows such as CSI. In fact, we seldom watch the big four at home. But I am a BIG exception. While ratings for the major networks continue to slide, Latino viewers are becoming the captive audience, keeping shows alive.
According to the most recent ratings data, Univision leapt to the number two spot (tied with NBC) on the 18-34 adult group with novela Destilando Amor, and beat out all networks in some programming slots in two of the nation’s largest Latino markets: Los Angeles and New York.
For marketers, getting access to the ’Favorites’ menu or watching a Latino family flip channels should be an interesting exercise. While CSI is #1, Destilando Amor takes spots 1 thru 5 on the list of the most popular shows among Hispanics, according to Nielsen. But these numbers seem to equate Hispanics with Spanish-language programming, when in fact bilingual viewers are boosting shows on the big four.
For example, American Idol takes the landslide in Hispanic viewership. No surprise there. Even I watch American Idol. It is about music, and aspirations and competition– all universal themes. Now that the show is not airing, a new ABC reality-TV prank show called Just for Laughs is leading in Hispanic viewers. Humor also is a big audience draw among Hispanics, proven by the fact The Simpsons also is a regular favorite. AdAge’s annual ’Hispanic Fact Pack’ lists Fox — home of Idol and Homer — as the #3 network overall for Hispanic viewers, behind Univision and Telemundo.
Younger and more acculturated Hispanics are simply not tuning in to Spanish-language TV. But they still tune in and provide a loyal base for English-language shows. You could say that seeing more of themselves in popular shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Without a Trace, and others is attractive to them since the characters are in situations they can relate to and have moved away from stereotypes. As networks’ audience numbers dwindle and fight to keep the remote from flipping, maybe the audience they so eagerly want to catch is just waiting for a show that relates to them. 
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