SBS Unveils Virtual 2021 Hispanic Media Upfront

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.,the leading Hispanic-owned and minority certified multimedia and entertainment company in the U.S., unveiled Tuesday its virtual 2021 upfront: It Happens Here. Through a series of curated videos, SBS executives discuss how the company's culturally relevant audio, digital, video, and live music experiences have successfully engaged U.S. Hispanics for over four decades while also serving as a springboard for the careers of many popular Latin music artists and celebrities.

Raúl Alarcón, Chairman of SBS, stated, “Now more than ever, it’s imperative for brands to have a Hispanic media marketing strategy to grow their business. We are leaders in developing multi-platform, culturally relevant content and experiences that connect our audience to their Latino roots and celebrate their heritage. If brands want to make an authentic connection with our community, the message is loud and clear: As far as Latino culture and entertainment is concerned, it happens here at Spanish Broadcasting System.”

The company’s It Happens Here virtual upfront will provide viewers a deeper understanding of the power, reach, distribution and content of Spanish Broadcasting System and it’s multimedia portfolio as well as upcoming ’21-22 opportunities for brand integrations through innovative, scalable cross-platform solutions to reach the diverse Latino market.

Raul Alarcon

“As we recover and rebuild from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also wanted to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the Latino community said Albert Rodriguez, COO of Spanish Broadcasting System. “Empowering, entertaining and uplifting the Latino community is at the core of everything we do, and we want the world to know that we have the leadership, the team, content and the platform that effectively reaches and culturally engages over 25 million Latinos on a weekly basis.”

“We are proud to be the only Hispanic-owned and operated multimedia company as certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and to be serving the largest minority group in the nation, which represents 18% of the U.S. population,” touted Elisa Torres, EVP of AIRE Radio Networks and SBS National Sales. “We’re the tastemakers and masterminds behind all of the content and programming that addresses Latino cultural nuances because we are the audience. If brands are looking to reach Hispanics effectively and authentically, we want them to know that “It Happens Here at SBS.”

The concept of “It Happens Here” derived from the fact that SBS has been the home of many ‘first’ experiences for Latin artists, celebrities, and listeners alike. The first time Jennifer Lopez performed live in her home state, New York, was at a Mega concert at Madison Square Garden. SBS was one of the first stations to play J Balvin and Ozuna’s music, and the first time Luis Fonsi performed his hit Diamond status single, “Despacito,” live was at the SBS upfront presentation in 2019 - the same upfront where Karol G, who is now recognized as one of the biggest female names in reggaeton music, also performed. Listeners often call in to SBS local stations to share that their first live Latin music concert was an SBS Entertainment event or the first time they heard their favorite artists was on their favorite SBS audio station.

“From megastars like Julio Iglesias, Vicente Fernandez, Camilo Sesto, Jose Luis Rodriguez, to the superstars of today like J. Balvin, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Marc Anthony and Ozuna, to the as yet undiscovered artists of tomorrow, we’re also extremely proud to be the launching platform for some of the biggest artists in Latin music, a genre defined as a global sound,” continued Alarcón.