Daniel Alegre Named CEO of Spanish-Language Giant TelevisaUnivision

Daniel Alegre will take the reins of Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision, putting an executive with strong operational experience in digital media at the helm of a company that seeks to make gains as its English-language competitors grapple with the rise of streaming.

Wade Davis, the former Viacom CFO who took over Univision in 2020 and then merged it with Mexico-based Grupo Televisa in 2022, will become the company’s vice chairman and continue as a member of the executive committee of the Board of Directors. Davis remains one of the largest shareholders in the company.  

Alegre takes the reins on Thursday, September 19

 “As we look to grow our unparalleled market position and the recent investments in our linear and streaming platforms as well as our news and sports products, Daniel is the right leader at the right time to take the helm,” said Alfonso de Angoitia, executive chairman of TelevisaUnivision, in a statement. “His unique global operational experience working in the U.S., Mexico and Latin America across technology, digital platforms and entertainment honed over three decades is exactly what TelevisaUnivision needs to drive our next phase.”

The move was not telegraphed, but TelevisaUnivision said Alegre was named to the role “as part of the Board of Directors’ long-term succession planning process.” A report published earlier Wednesday in The New York Times suggested that the company had not lowered its debt significantly since the merger even as profits declined.

TelevisaUnivision may specialize in Spanish-language media, but it faces the same challenges as its English counterparts, namely how to monetize audiences for its content as they increasingly use streaming services to watch it. Under Davis, TelevisaUnivision backed new broadband services liek ViX and Prende TV, and had been making inroads into relationships with U.S. sports leagues. The company also found itself steering into controversy as its news division was accused of hosting a softer interview with former President Donald Trump that may have been organized in part by its business executives. One top journalist, Leon Krauze, left, and Jorge Ramos, one of the most venerated reporters at Univision, plans to exit after the 2024 election.

 “Thanks to the efforts of our exceptional team, TelevisaUnivision has consistently delivered above-market revenue growth, outperformed the U.S. and Mexican advertising markets and launched and have grown our direct-to-consumer business, ViX, to become the largest dedicated Spanish-language streaming service in the world,” Davis said in a statement.

Alegre spent 16 years at Google before moving to become chief operating officer of Activision Blizzard from 2020 to 2023, where he was responsible for managing all revenue, game development and leadership teams for the company’s top gaming franchises. He was most recently CEO of Yuga Labs, parent of the NFT collection known as the Bored Ape Yacht Club. Alegre currently serves on the Board of Directors at FEMSA, one of the leading Latin American global commerce and pharmaceutical retailers and the world’s largest Coca Cola bottler. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Cinepolis, the largest movie theater chain in Latin America.