TelevisaUnivision, challenged like all traditional media companies by cord-cutting and an unsettled ad market, is laying off several hundred workers in a restructuring.
CEO Daniel Alegre announced a revamp of the company’s senior leadership team and alluded to the cutbacks in a memo to employees (read it below). A precise number of layoffs was not disclosed, but a person familiar with the reductions told Deadline a “mid- to high-single-digit” percentage of workers would be affected. TelevisaUnivision has about 13,300 total employees, roughly 3,600 in the U.S. and 9,700 in Mexico.
The exec overhaul will see Jose Luis Fabila, currently head of content and strategy at TelevisaUnivision in Mexico, oversee all global content in the newly created Global Content Organization. Donna Speciale, president of U.S. ad sales and marketing, will add local and audio ad sales to her portfolio as local media chief Jesus Lara departs the company. In a similar shift on the programming front, Head of U.S. Networks Ignacio Meyer will add U.S. audio and local programming to his purview.
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Last, in the wake of recent news that Pierluigi Gazzolo will step down as streaming chief at the end of the year, Vix COO Rafael Urbina has been promoted to the top role overseeing all digital and streaming operations.
The moves signal an effort by Alegre to put his stamp on the Hispanic media giant. He took on the top job in September, bringing a background in tech and video games and outlining plans to rethink the company’s operations. On the privately held company’s third-quarter earnings call with Wall Street analysts in October, Alegre outlined key objectives, including streamlining linear and streaming operations and also bringing together the two legacy companies that created TelevisaUnivision in a 2021 merger. “We need to drive further integration of our two legacy companies,” he said on the call. “Each of these has been around for more than 60 years, and while that creates a rich history, catalog and branding recognition, it also brings with it very established ways of operating. We have a real opportunity to shift from two regional companies into one global company.
Here is Alegre’s full memo:
Hello Team,
I am writing to inform you that we are implementing significant and necessary changes to the company this week, all aimed at strengthening our position for 2025 and beyond. Today, I am announcing a new organizational structure, which will have important implications for many of our colleagues.
These changes are designed to reinforce the four key priorities I have outlined for us going forward:
- Integration and Collaboration: Working as one company in everything we do.
- Content First: Everything starts with great content, and we must align our teams and strategies to continue connecting, informing, and entertaining our communities.
- Solution Selling: Our partners’ needs are evolving, and we must serve them in ways no one else can in the market.
- Culture: We must rebuild a growth mindset, grounded in innovation, across the entire company.
The changes include leadership adjustments in some areas and a reorganization of functions to help us achieve greater alignment, focus, and impact.
First, I want to share that Jesús Lara, our head of Local in the U.S., has decided to leave the company. In response, I have decided to reorganize the U.S. local teams. I will centralize U.S. advertising sales under the leadership of Donna Speciale, covering local and national, linear, digital, streaming, audio, and multiplatform video. This structure will ensure a single, solutions-oriented point of entry for all our U.S. advertising partners to activate and grow with our audience.
Additionally, Ignacio Meyer will now oversee U.S. Audio and Local Programming, in addition to his current role managing U.S. Linear Programming. Donna and Ignacio will communicate separately with the U.S. local teams to outline how the new structure will operate.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to Jesús Lara for his dedication, vision, and contributions to TelevisaUnivision over the past eight years. He will work closely with Donna and Ignacio to ensure a smooth transition for the teams joining their organizations.
From a content strategy perspective, I have asked José Luis Fabila to lead all our content efforts and create a newly formed Global Content Organization. José Luis will ensure that our content investments align with our company’s reach, engagement, and monetization goals, and are distributed efficiently across all platforms worldwide with the right windowing strategy. This is an exciting opportunity to elevate how we deliver world-class content to our global audiences.
Our talented Business Unit Leaders will work closely with José Luis:
- Ignacio Meyer will lead our U.S. Core Business, as well as our music and audio content teams, reporting to José Luis. In addition, current U.S. Networks Programming and Marketing Teams will also be rolled into roles in the Global Content Organization. Jose Luis and Ignacio will provide further detail to these teams.
- Rafael Urbina will oversee digital and streaming operations, performance marketing and CRM, focusing on driving adoption, increasing consumption, and optimizing the global user experience. Jose Luis’ content and brand marketing organization will provide VIX with content acquisition, development and production services as well as planning and creative services to support VIX marketing. Rafa and José Luis will provide further details to their respective teams.
- Olek Loewenstein will continue to lead the sports business unit, collaborating with José Luis’ Global Content Organization.
These leaders will remain key members of my broader leadership team.
Finally, I want to acknowledge that workforce changes will also take place across the company this week. While these decisions are never easy, we are committed to supporting everyone through their transition.
I understand that this will be a challenging week, but I ask for your focus and resilience as we take these important steps toward a stronger and more connected future. Together, we are building a company positioned for sustained growth, innovation, and leadership.
Thank you for your trust, contributions, and commitment to our mission and goals.
Daniel
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