Currently owned by Brazilian businessman Edir Macedo, who is also founder and bishop of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Rede Record is part of Grupo Record, one of the largest media groups in Brazil, based on an ambiguous relationship between the group's media and the church. The network operates both free-to-air broadcast and emerging digital/streaming offerings, competing directly with Globo and SBT in Brazil's fractured television market.
Cyborg Score Rationale
Rede Record maintains a defensible second-place position in Brazilian broadcast television with established production capacity and national reach, but faces structural headwinds from cord-cutting and streaming disruption. The company has begun digital transformation efforts but lags Globo. Ownership concentration and UCKG ties create regulatory and reputational risks.
Top Insights
Second-largest commercial TV network in Brazil with 111-station footprint; ranked 28th globally as of 2012, but audience rankings have fluctuated between 2nd and 3rd place since 2007.
Majority-owned by Edir Macedo and the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), with religious programming occupying prime slots; business model includes 'leasing' grid time to the church and other organizations.
Operates multiple content verticals: RecordTV (general entertainment/drama), Record News (24-hour news channel launched 2007), R7 (digital portal), and RecNov (dramaturgy production complex in Rio de Janeiro).
Facing secular decline in pay-TV and cord-cutting (761,726 Brazilians cancelled pay-TV in 2017 alone, a 150% annual jump); launched OTT platform by 2018 but trails Globo's three-year head start in streaming.
Named Competitors
Globo — Brazil's largest broadcast television network and dominant media conglomerate
SBT — Third-largest Brazilian broadcaster; occasionally ranks second in viewership
RedeTV! — Fifth-largest Brazilian TV network with heavy religious programming
Band — Major Brazilian free-to-air television network competing in broadcast market
Recent Developments
Group acquired Correio do Povo newspaper (Rio Grande do Sul, founded 1895) and associated media: Guaíba radio and TV Record RS, consolidating regional print and broadcast presence.
Maintains broadcasting rights for major sporting events including Pan American Games (2007, 2011, 2015, 2019) and Olympic Games (2012, 2016).
Record News reaches 391 Brazilian cities and international presence in Germany, France, Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique; operates as first free-to-air all-news station competing against cable news alternatives.
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