Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision reported higher adjusted profitability for its third quarter, driven by “continued growth” in streaming profits and the impact of previously taken cost efficiency measures.
But the company on Thursday posted a 2 percent U.S. revenue decline to $831.3 million in the third quarter of 2025 as an 11 percent advertising revenue drop couldn’t be fully outweighed by an 11 percent gain in subscription and licensing revenue, which is smaller in dollar terms. When excluding political ads, U.S. revenue would have been steady.
The U.S. ad drop to $428.2 million, which amounted to 8 percent when excluding political advertising, came as growth in direct-to-consumer (DTC), or streaming, was more than offset “by softness in linear.” In Mexico, advertising revenue increased 3 percent to $327 million, driven by growth in DTC.
Subscription and licensing revenue grew 3 percent in the latest quarter to $493 million. “The growth was driven by ViX’s premium tier and higher content licensing revenue, partially offset by linear subscription declines primarily related to the renewal cycle with a key distribution partner in Mexico that was partially offset by growth in the U.S.,” the company said. The U.S. recorded an 11 percent gain to $388 million, while Mexico declined 17 percent, but grew 5 percent when excluding the renewal cycle impact.
TelevisaUnivision had reported its first streaming profit in the third quarter of 2024. ViX is expected to be the fastest-growing subscription streaming service in the Americas in 2025, according to Ampere Analysis forecasts.
Total third-quarter revenue of $1.3 billion was down 3 percent, or 1 percent when excluding political advertising. In Mexico, revenue fell 3 percent. Operating expenses declined by 8 percent, though, to $804.0 million.
TelevisaUnivision’s operating income for the third quarter came in at $265 million, down from $419 million in the prior year, when a gain from the sale of non-core towers boosted results. Excluding for that year-ago gain, operating income rose 3 percent.
Adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) increased 9 percent to $467 million in the third quarter, “driven by continued DTC profitability growth and the sustained benefits of cost efficiency initiatives implemented at the end of 2024,” TelevisaUnivision said. It didn’t immediately detail the size of the DTC profit.
“Our third-quarter results demonstrate the disciplined execution of our reimagined content strategy and the continued momentum of ViX as a key growth engine,” said TelevisaUnivision CEO Daniel Alegre. “Our leadership is further cemented by the audience we serve — wielding outsized influence in the U.S., unrivaled in Mexico, and driving cultural and commercial impact around the world.”