Televisa, social site hi5 join to boost audience

Mexican media giant Televisa and the social networking Web site hi5 announced plans Wednesday to provide TV programming free online in Latin America.

Registered hi5 users will be able see Televisa programming on a new hi5 page as soon as this summer, the San Francisco-based company said. Many of the sports, soaps and other shows are already available on Televisa's Web site, but the partnership is intended to boost both companies' audience, hi5 spokesman Mike Trigg said.

The page won't be accessible in the U.S., though, where Televisa and its one-time partner Univision are battling over internet distribution rights.

Grupo Televisa SA is the world's top producer of Spanish-language TV programming.

Internet use grew 16.6 percent in Latin America last year, nearly triple 5.7 percent growth seen in Canada and the U.S., according to comScore Inc., an Internet researcher.

Televisa and hi5 already reach more than 33 million users in Spanish-speaking Latin America, or 63 percent of the market, both companies said.

hi5 was the world's 12th most-visited Web site by page views last year, according to comScore, and Trigg said the site has more than 5 million unique users in Mexico.

A spokesman for Televisa could not confirm financing details for the partnership, but hi5 supports itself largely by advertising.

"This initiative could drive earnings growth in the long term" for Televisa, though not until at least 2011, analysts at Grupo Financiero Banamex said in a note to investors. The Mexico City-based media company racked up $22 million (300 million pesos) in Internet sales in 2008, less than 1 percent of its total revenue, Banamex said.