LOS ANGELES — Hoping to attract a rapidly growing U.S. Latino audience, online video site Hulu has launched a Spanish-language programming service with popular shows from networks Univision, Estrella TV and Azteca America.

Spanish-language programming has been scattered across different Internet sites. And some of the most popular programs, including the spicy telenovelas produced by Grupo Televisa of Mexico, were not available online in the U.S.

Hulu, which has ramped up its offerings this year, saw an opportunity.

“The demographics of the U.S. Latino audience are very interesting to us, and until now there was so little Spanish-language content available online in an aggregated form,” said Andy Forssell, senior vice president of content at Hulu, based in Santa Monica, Calif.

Latinos are the nation’s fastest-growing demographic group. Also, the median age of the Latino audience is younger than that of the general market, which has helped attract blue-chip advertisers who prefer younger viewers.

Hulu — owned by media companies Walt Disney Co., News Corp. and NBCUniversal — and its advertisers are particularly interested in reaching bilingual viewers who watch programming in English and Spanish. They believe a large percentage of that audience can be found online.