The Biggest Media Shift You’re Not Paying Attention To: Lat Am

Mar 24, 2025

Look at the numbers. Latin American YouTubers and digital creators aren’t just pulling massive audiences—they’re annihilating traditional media.

When Kimberly Loaiza drops a new TikTok, it gets more views in 24 hours than an entire season of a primetime Televisa show.

Every time Luisito Comunica visits a new country, his vlogs routinely rack up millions of views—often surpassing the total lifetime audience of major Latin American travel series within days.

Peso Pluma built a music empire off TikTok, topping global charts before most executives even knew who he was.

The Old Power Structure is Crumbling

I started my career in Latin America. While my friends moved to Hollywood, chasing the dream at what was then the undisputed center of entertainment, I wrote TV shows and movies in Colombia.

To me, there was something more exciting—more challenging—about making a hit in a language I had just learned, inside a culture so different from my own. But the reality was clear: no matter how high the ratings of your show or how successful your film was, nothing compared to "making it in Hollywood."

Success wasn’t measured by local box office numbers or TV ratings in Bogotá—it was determined by whether Hollywood came calling. Local films and TV might thrive briefly, but the next big studio release would always overshadow them.

At the same time, local media giants—whether Televisa, Globo, or Caracol—controlled how much Hollywood content made it in, securing their dominance. But their monopolistic grip meant they didn’t need to evolve. They played it safe, relying on the same formulas, the same stars, the same telenovela structures, while Hollywood kept innovating and pulling audiences away.

When the walled gardens started coming down, Netflix was the first to disrupt, offering high-budget local-language productions. But this still only opened doors for the most elite storytellers, those already within the system. Social media was already taking shape alongside Netflix, but it wasn’t yet profitable.

As Latin America’s digital economy matured—fueled by cheaper mobile data, expanded internet access, and growing digital payment adoption—monetization finally caught up, allowing the creator economy to ramp up and shift the balance of power. Over time, it broke the gatekeeping model entirely—allowing anyone with a strong point of view to stand out.

Creators Have Rewritten the Playbook

Latin American creators have rewritten the playbook, turning digital fame into sprawling business empires. Leveraging their massive fanbases, creators have grown from simple content makers to dominant multi-faceted entities.

Luisito Comunica, Mexico’s biggest travel and culture vlogger, boasts an impressive following of over 44 million subscribers on YouTube. But Luisito isn't just about making videos—he's turned his influence into a thriving empire. He launched his own telecom brand (PilloFon), jumped into the restaurant business with places like Fasfú Burgers, Deigo Ramen, and Bolichera 21, and even ventured into spirits with his tequila brand, Gran Malo. Adding to his multimedia success, he hosts the popular podcast En Cortinas and lent his voice to Sonic in the Latin American versions of the Sonic the Hedgehog films.
Juanpa Zurita, a Mexican YouTuber and entrepreneur with over 30 million subscribers on YouTube and another 30 million on Instagram, has made a name for himself far beyond social media. He's showcased his acting chops in Netflix’s Luis Miguel: La Serie, co-produced the Amazon Prime documentary 13:14: El Reto de Ayudar, and recently launched a virtual taco brand called La Milagrosa. Zurita also partnered with Adidas for an exclusive sneaker collaboration and signed a major first-look production deal with TelevisaUnivision's ViX streaming platform.
Domelipa, a Mexican TikTok star with 70 million followers, has successfully translated her digital fame into high-profile brand collaborations with names like Adidas, Nike, Tommy Jeans, Pandora, and Shein. She's stepped into the entrepreneurial world with her fashion line, Domelipa Shop, and is now venturing into music after signing with Sony Music Latin, breaking new ground as one of the first major TikTok stars to do so.
Windy Girk, a Panamanian gaming YouTuber with over 4 million subscribers, took a bold step into OnlyFans, making the platform her primary revenue stream. Beyond gaming, she's ventured into music and regularly appears at international gaming and pop-culture conventions, solidifying her position as a multifaceted creator.
Javier Santaolalla, a physicist-turned-YouTuber who has captivated millions by making science fun and accessible, has gone far beyond online videos. He's the mind behind Amautas, a dedicated educational platform, and has authored engaging popular science books such as ¿Qué hace un bosón como tú en un Big Bang como éste? Javier also co-hosts the insightful podcast Por el amor de Higgs, continuously broadening his influence as a leading voice in science communication

Music, TikTok, and the Next “Despacito” Moment

For years, Latin America followed global trends. Now? It’s setting them.

Bad Bunny was Spotify’s most-streamed artist worldwide three years in a row (2020-2022). No English-language artist has ever done that.
Natanael Cano’s corridos tumbados—once niche Mexican street music—are now charting globally, driven entirely by TikTok.
Maria Becerra, an Argentine pop star, built her career through YouTube, proving that independent artists can reach the top without a major label’s backing.

The traditional industry didn’t create these stars. They’re now chasing them.

Brands Are Following Creators, Not TV Networks

It’s not just audiences. Advertisers are moving their money, too.

In 2023, influencer marketing in Latin America hit $1.3 billion, with projections to double in the next three years. (Source: Statista)
Coca Cola, Adidas, and even banks like BBVA are signing deals with YouTubers instead of actors.
The new CEO of Unilever recently announced a social-first advertising strategy, with 50% of their global ad spend going to social media. He said, “There are 5,764 municipalities in Brazil. I want one influencer in each of them.”

The biggest Latin American ad campaigns of the past year featured TikTokers, not TV stars.

Why Now? Latin America’s “Leapfrog” Effect

Latin America is like a slow-moving bullet. You could see where it was going to hit just by watching the U.S.

For years, it lagged behind. Internet was slower. Smartphones took longer to spread. Creator culture was delayed.

But now it’s leapfrogging entire stages of development:

Mobile broadband access has nearly doubled since 2014, jumping from 220 million to almost 400 million people connected.
Fiber optic broadband adoption has grown by 258% in countries like Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
Internet penetration skyrocketed from 43% to 78% in the last decade—Chile alone has hit 90%, surpassing China.
Digital payments and e-commerce have removed the old barriers to monetization.

That barrier is gone.

A Glimpse into the Future: Latin America’s Unique Path

Latin America isn’t just catching up—it’s building something different.

The Creator-First Economy: In Latin America, content creation has become one of the strongest new pathways for economic mobility, as digital platforms bypass legacy gatekeepers and allow creators to build wealth directly with their audiences.
A Cultural Renaissance: As Latin creators rise, indigenous stories, street music genres, and local traditions are being exported instead of erased.
AI Localization: Once technology makes it even easier to dub content into other languages, this barrier will also fall.

Latin America isn’t recreating Hollywood. It’s building a new model altogether.

Pero lo están haciendo en otras idiomas.