Why Former Viacom CFO’s Huge Univision Deal Makes Sense

Searchlight Capital Partners and Wade Davis’ ForgeLight this week purchased 64% of Univision for an undisclosed — but definitely large — sum of money. Why was the Spanish-language broadcaster, which has reportedly been plagued by internal complaints about corporate leadership and lack of strategy, so attractive to Davis, the former Viacom CFO? The network’s Nielsen TV ratings dominance coupled with the rapid growth of the U.S. Latino population, a majority of whom speak Spanish, opens up a world of possibility. Univision has been the No. 1 Spanish-language network in the U.S. for 27 consecutive seasons among adults 18-49, which is the demographic most coveted by advertisers.