How FremantleMedia's 'La Banda' Reaches U.S. Audience

Aaron Bodden in La Banda

"Search for the Latino One Direction" in numbers. Rating performance of FremantleMedia's new talent format on Univision.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Comprehensive data for 'The Band' ('La Banda') are available. FremantleMedia's new talent competition format, introduced last month in Cannes, is currently trying to achieve good ratings on a highly competitive Sunday night in USA. First live shows already aired.

Expectations were high: FremantleMedia was announcing "dramatically different new music reality competition" and Univision described it a "search for the Latino One Direction" that "will draw a young audience".

On a night when America's most watched programme - Sunday Night Football on NBC - gets 22.8 million viewers in 2+ (fall average, live+7) and 8.3 rating in the young 18-49 demo, Univision Network wants to reach Spanish speaking U.S. audience with 'La Banda'. The new show has averaged 0.9 rating in the 18-49 target group. It is not a huge hit but ratings are pretty solid, considering tough competition, Univision's 0.8 fall season average and broadcaster's other content (channel's most watched fall telenovela Lo Imperdonable averages 1.0 rating in the demo).

'La Banda' main shows on Univision
(source: Nielsen, most current data including 7-day timeshifted viewing)

Target group # of homes/persons Rating Show v. channel's average
18-49 1.1 mil. 0.9 +0.1
2+ 2.6 mil. 0.9 +0.1
Households 1.6 mil. 1.4 +0.2

'La Banda' has been a steady performer over first 10 weeks (in this case data include only live+same day viewing):

'La Banda' weekly
(source: Nielsen, live+SD)



Univision Network co-developed the show with SYCO Entertainment and Saban Brands. The airing on Univision is important, however with the target audience being so specific it might be useful mainly for Hispanic market. FremantleMedia as a global distributor of the format would be concerned only if the results were too low, which didn't happen.

Univision version of 'The Band' is a 2-hour version. Simon Cowell and Ricky Martin are executive producers. Alejandro Sanz and Laura Pausini co-judge. Second season has been anounced already prior to the launch of season one. Univision will be looking for girlband in 2016, Billboard has reported.

All data: Nielsen