From a pure numbers perspective, Telemundos primetime Super Series El Se or de Los Cielos does not compare to some of the English-language network primetime drama programming hits that over the years helped turn network viewership around.
Its total audience this season of 1.9 million viewers per night and its 1.1 million viewers in the 18-49 demo pale in comparison to ABC drama series Lost, for example, which premiered in 2004 averaging 16 million viewers and helped turn that network around at the time.
But what El Se or and the rest of the 10 p.m. Super Series programming has done for the network in the Hispanic TV universe is to propel Telemundo past rival Univision for the first time ever in Monday through Friday primetime during a full 2016-2017 TV season in both the 18-34 and 18-49 demos. And thats quite an accomplishment since just five years ago, in the 2011-12 Hispanic broadcast TV season, Univision was averaging 2.1 million viewers 18-49 in weeknight primetime, compared to Telemundos 734,000, according to Nielsen data.
Related: Telemundo to Preview 2018 World Cup Coverage at Hispanic Television Summit
El Se or has been the most-watched Telemundo series since it came on the air in the spring of 2013, averaging 2.1 million total viewers and 1.2 million 18-49 viewers per night over that five season period. However, the other 10 p.m. Super Series that it has shared the time period with have also produced better ratings by a siginificiant margin than the traditional novelas that Telemundo had been running in the hour prior to that.
Super Series El Chema, an El Se or spinoff, had earlier last season in the 10 p.m. time period averaged 2 million total viewers, 1.1 million among 18-49 viewers and 562,000 in the 18-34 demo. That outperformed Univision at 10 p.m. by 21% in 18-49 viewers and 33% in 18-34.
We made the decision four years ago to look at our programming differently, to redefine it, said Telemundo president Luis Silberwasser.
Related: GroupM's Gonzalo Del Fa to Receive 2017 Executive Leadership Award at Hispanic Television Summit
To make inroads into the large viewership lead that Univision held in Monday to Friday primetime, Silberwasser said Telemundo decided to scrap its traditional novelas, which would run for one cycle at 110 or more episodes. And it began replacing them at 10 p.m. with what it called Super Series, which run for between 60 and 80 episodes and are brought back with new second and third cycles, much like the drama series on English-language television. El Se or de los Cielos is now in its fifth season.
Our goal was more relevant and contemporary stories, more themes and storylines touching on what U.S. Hispanics are encountering in their daily lives, and programming ripped from the headlines, Silberwasser said.
Telemundo also got into the production of biopics. And that was all made possible because the network operates its own studios in Miami, Mexico and Colombia so it can tailor its programming and series specifically to its audience.
Related: Telemundo Makes History
We spend a lot of time trying to understand our viewers and determine who was watching in each of our primetime hours, Silberwasser says. And we decided to no longer produce traditional novelas but to instead produce based more on the model traditional TV series.
In addition to El Se or de Los Cielos at 10 p.m., Telemundo most recently has been running Jenni Rivera: Mariposa de Barrio at 8 p.m. and Sin Senos Si Hay Para so at 9 p.m.
Mariposa de Barrio is a series based on the autobiography Unbreakable: My Story, My Way, written by actress, singer and songwriter Jenni Rivera before her death. It has averaged 1.4 million total viewers since premiering in late June.
Related: Vaqueiro Named Co-Anchor Of Telemundo Weekend News
Sin Senos Si Hay Para so is a remake and loose adaptation of a Colombian telenovela that dates back to 2008. Silberwasser said Telemundo got the creator to update the story and it was brought back not as a novella but as a drama series after Telemundo filmed it at its studios. It is now in its second season.
Its great when you can depend on yourself to create your own programming, Silberwasser says. We can customize all of the content and tie it into our audiences.
For the 2016-17 Hispanic broadcast television season, Univision won the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. primetime total viewer race in the live plus same day, live-plus-three-day and live-plus-seven day measurements, each by about 200,000 viewers. And Univision did edge out Telemundo among live-plus-same-day 18-49 demo viewers - 812,000 to 802,000.
Learn more about Telemundo and Univision at the 15th Annual Hispanic Television Summit
However, Telemundo for the first time ever, drew more viewers in the 18-34 and 18-49 demos in the live plus-same-day, live plus-three-day and live plus-seven-day measurement periods. In live plus-same-day 18-34, Telemundo edged out Univision 371,000 viewers to 365,000. In 18-34 live plus-three-day Telemundo 395,000 and Univision 375,000 and in 18-49 it was Telemundo 852,000 and Univision 838,000. In live plus-seven-day, among 18-34 it was Telemundo 399,000 and Univision 377,000 and among 18-49 it was Telemundo 861,000 and Univision 843,000.
The numbers are close, but when you overtake the competition for the first time ever, it is big news for the insurgent network.
Its a very exciting time to be Telemundo right now, said Stephen Paez, senior VP and director of multicultural at media agency Spark Foundry. Their success has put them top of mind among ad buyers. It has positioned them as a stronger competitor to Univision. Investment follows viewership and Telemundo does have more compelling story now.
Paez added that it speaks to the fact that among the broadcast networks, the Hispanic networks have a much younger audience than the English-language networks and the Hispanic
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From a pure numbers perspective, Telemundos primetime Super Series El Se or de Los Cielos does not compare to some of the English-language network primetime drama programming hits that over the years helped turn network viewership around.
