Hispanic media expert Javier Marin argues that the future of the Hispanic media in the United States will not be defined by replacement; it will be shaped by coexistence, consolidation, and cultural leverage.
Marin — author of Live from America: How Latino TV Conquered the United States and recent winner of the BookLife Prize awarded by Publishers Weekly — believes the next decade of Hispanic media will be driven by alliances between legacy Spanish-language broadcasters, global streaming giants, sports ecosystems, and bilingual cultural consumption. Marin, a speaker at Portada Los Angeles on June 4, is one of the most knowledgeable analysts of Hispanic media power structures. Publishers Weekly highlighted Live from America as a defining examination of “the rise of Spanish-language media in the U.S.” and the transformation of Latino audiences into one of America’s most influential consumer blocs.
For marketers, media executives, and streaming platforms, Marin’s perspective arrives at a critical moment. The fight for the Hispanic audience is no longer about simple “crossover” strategies. Instead, it is about understanding cultural authenticity, bilingual behavior, sports fandom, and the economics of identity.
Why TelevisaUnivision and Telemundo Remain Central
Despite the rise of Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, and Amazon, Marin argues that the two dominant Spanish-language television ecosystems — TelevisaUnivision and Telemundo — remain central to the media landscape.
“I am not ignoring the role of Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Disney, or the major tech platforms,” Marin tells Portada. “But my point is this: Univision and Telemundo are not disappearing. They will continue to have a seat at the table. They are not just part of the menu.”
According to Marin, the long-term importance of these companies comes from history itself. He points to recurring cycles of Hispanic demographic growth in the United States, especially linked to waves of migration from Mexico and Latin America.
During earlier growth periods, Spanish-language media companies experienced massive increases in valuation. Marin notes that during the so-called “Latin Envy” era, Univision reached valuations close to US $13 billion, while Telemundo sold for roughly US $2 billion.
Today, he believes the market is entering a third transformational phase fueled by streaming investment, sports rights, and global technology companies seeking stronger connections with the Hispanic audience.
“Eventually the market will recognize something fundamental: the Hispanic audience in the United States remains structurally undervalued,” he says.
That insight is especially relevant for advertisers. Marin argues that the approximately $4 billion Spanish-language advertising market in the U.S. is still expanding, particularly through sports and entertainment.
“But my point is this: Univision and Telemundo are not disappearing. They will continue to have a seat at the table. They are not just part of the menu.”
Beyond “Crossover” Culture
One of Marin’s strongest arguments is that the traditional idea of crossover entertainment is effectively over.
“In music, the era of the ‘crossover’ is over. Bad Bunny changed the equation,” he says. “English-speaking audiences are now willing — even eager — to consume music entirely in Spanish.”
For years, Hispanic artists were expected to switch to English in order to achieve mainstream success. Marin believes that paradigm collapsed because audiences increasingly value authenticity over linguistic adaptation.
This shift is also influencing television and streaming narratives.
“In entertainment, we are moving toward a bilingual storytelling ecosystem,” Marin explains. “Films and series increasingly flow naturally between English and Spanish.”
Streaming services have accelerated this evolution. Platforms such as Netflix, Disney, Amazon, and YouTube now compete aggressively for bilingual and bicultural viewers, particularly younger consumers who navigate both languages fluently.
Still, Marin does not believe Spanish-only storytelling will disappear.
“Spanish-only storytelling will also remain powerful and culturally necessary,” he says.
For marketers targeting the Hispanic audience, this distinction is crucial. Marin suggests the future will not be monolithic. Instead, different segments of Hispanic consumers will require different narrative approaches depending on language, identity, and cultural context.
“Spanish-only storytelling will also remain powerful and culturally necessary.”
The Crisis — and Opportunity — in Hispanic News Media
While entertainment has benefited from bilingual growth, Marin sees a far more fragile situation in journalism.
“Spanish-language journalism in the United States has been severely weakened over the last decade because it stopped being considered a strong business model,” he says.
According to Marin, this decline creates both a commercial gap and a democratic risk.
“Too much Spanish-language news today is simply translated mainstream English-language journalism, rather than journalism produced from within the Hispanic experience itself.”
He emphasizes that approximately 25 million people in the United States still speak very limited English, making Spanish-language news essential for civic participation and social orientation.
“For them, Spanish-language news is oxygen,” Marin says. “It is guidance, protection, orientation, and participation in democracy.”
At the same time, he believes bilingual Hispanics increasingly distrust media because original newsroom infrastructures have been dismantled.
For Hispanic media executives, Marin’s warning is strategic as much as political: rebuilding serious Spanish-language journalism could become one of the most important opportunities of the next decade.
“Too much Spanish-language news today is simply translated mainstream English-language journalism, rather than journalism produced from within the Hispanic experience itself.”
Soccer, Streaming, and the Next Hispanic Media Gold Rush
Sports, particularly soccer, represent another major growth engine for Hispanic media.
Marin argues that the growth of the Premier League in the U.S. is not a threat to Liga MX but rather an expansion of the entire soccer economy.
“I can assure you that Liga MX’s fanbase in the United States is still growing strongly,” he says. “At the same time, the Premier League is growing across both Hispanic and non-Hispanic audiences.”
Related content: Soccer Viewership in the U.S.: Why EPL Beat LigaMX in 2023 for the First Time
The convergence matters because media rights, sponsorships, merchandising, streaming, and live events increasingly overlap across leagues and audiences.
Marin believes the future could involve separate premium Spanish-language rights deals for global soccer properties, intensifying competition among broadcasters and streaming companies.
Meanwhile, he sees enormous untapped commercial potential in Mexican clubs such as Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Cruz Azul, Rayados de Monterrey, and Tigres UANL.
“We are witnessing the early stages of what may become the largest soccer economy in the world outside Europe,” Marin says.
I can assure you that Liga MX’s fanbase in the United States is still growing strongly. At the same time, the Premier League is growing across both Hispanic and non-Hispanic audiences.”
The New Hispanic Media Executive
Marin also believes the leadership profile of Hispanic media executives is changing dramatically.
In his book, he highlights executives such as Cesar Conde and Daniel Alegre as models for the future.
Conde represents the evolution of Hispanic media leadership inside mainstream American media institutions, while Alegre reflects the growing convergence between media, technology, gaming, and Silicon Valley.
“The future of Hispanic media will increasingly intersect with Silicon Valley, streaming, and global digital ecosystems,” Marin says.
For marketers, the message is clear: the future of Hispanic media will not be managed exclusively by traditional broadcasters or advertising agencies. It will increasingly involve platform executives, data ecosystems, global licensing structures, and cross-border partnerships.
Ultimately, Marin believes the battle over Hispanic media has always been about far more than television.
“What I wanted to do with this book was not simply tell the history of a television network,” he says. “I wanted readers to understand that the battle over language, media, identity, and cultural power has been one of the hidden business stories shaping modern America for decades.”
And according to Marin, that story is only accelerating.
