Sometimes I wish I’d paid more attention in Spanish class in high school.  Sure, I’m fine ordering beers or finding a bathroom.  I can ask if Susana is home and whether she’s in the kitchen easily enough, and if you tell me, “no, she’s in the living room,” I’ll likely comprehend it.  Thirty years after the fact I still never forgot “Ay caramba, cuando arreglan mi cuarto, no encuentro nada!” (Oh darn! Whenever they clean my room I can’t find anything!).  Despite this, I can’t watch Fuego en la Sangre (Burning for Revenge) and understand it.  I wish that I could.

Univision doesn’t get much love with the traditional US media, and it’s understandable as most of the content written about ratings is produced for people who speak English.  Nielsen doesn’t even release overnight data for Univision via Marc Berman.   Again, I understand it, but the lack of inclusion is just another piece of the overall ratings puzzle that gets missed. 

Univision really is a pretty big deal.  Last night for example, in the 8pm hour it was tied for second among 18-49 year olds, and numero uno among 18-34 year olds.  Number one.  Sadly, I expect because of the way advertising works that although the 18-34 is normally considered a highly cherished demographic, it may be considered less so among Spanish language shows because of issues of average income. 

I don’t like bringing it up, but to ignore it would be folly.  Still, number one in a demo is number one.   And it’s not like the average income among those 18-34 year olds watching America’s Next Top Model (which Al Diablo con los Guapos BEAT in the 18-34 demo) is in the upper echelon either.

Last night in the 9pm hour, Fuego en la Sangre came in third in the 18-49 demo trailing both American Idol and Criminal Minds, but was second only to Idol among 18-34 year olds.

Last week, the premiere week for Fuego en la Sangre, it set all kinds of premiere week records for Univision.  Network highlights from 4/28-5/2 include:

• Among young viewers, the novela helped Univision rank as the #2 broadcast network for the week, beating ABC, CBS, NBC and CW in the Monday to Friday 9 p.m.-10 p.m. hour in Adults 18-24.

• “Fuego en la Sangre” was the highest-rated program on Friday night among all Adults 18-34 across all networks regardless of language, helping Univision gain the #1 spot for the entire primetime block on Friday.

• “Fuego en la Sangre” averaged more Adults 18-34 than original telecasts of popular English-language primetime programs, including ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars Results” and “Ugly Betty;” CBS’s “CSI: NY” and “NCIS;” NBC’s “30 Rock” and “My Name is Earl;” and FOX’s “Bones” and “Till Death,” among others. The novela also beat all of CW’s programs in Adults 18-34 for the entire week.

• Additionally, Univision ranked #3 among Teens 12-17 (beating ABC, CBS and NBC) and Adults 18-34 (beating CBS, NBC and CW), and #5 among Adults 18-49 and Total Viewers (2+) in the same time period (M-F 9p-10p).

• All five telecasts of “Fuego en la Sangre” rank in the top 20 programs of the week among Adults 18-34 among all networks.

It beat LOST in the 18-34 demo in Los Angeles and Hell’s Kitchen in both 18-49 and 18-34 demos in New York!  Local Market Highlights include:

• “Fuego en la Sangre” ranked #1 in its time period during its first week in primetime:

-        Among Adults 18-34 in Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and San Francisco

-        Among Adults 18-49 in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix

-        Among Females 18-34 in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix

-        Among Females 18-49 in Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas

-        Among Teens 12-17 in Los Angeles, Houston and Phoenix

• “Fuego en la Sangre” averaged more viewers than top-rated English-language primetime shows:

-        In Los Angeles and Houston, the novela averaged more Adult 18-49 and 18-34 viewers than FOX’s “American Idol” and “Hell’s Kitchen,” as well as ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” among others.

-        In New York, “Fuego en la Sangre” ranked #1 among Adults 18-34, out delivering ABC’s “Ugly Betty” and “Lost.”

-        In Dallas, the novela averaged more Adult 18-49 viewers than ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”, “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Lost”, as well as FOX’s “Hell’s Kitchen.” Among Dallas Adults 18-34, in addition to the above Primetime shows, the novela also out-rated FOX’s “American Idol.”