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Univision took the stage this week at its upfront presentation to hype its networks’ involvement in the Hispanic community and to introduce some new ways it plans to expand that presence. One of these programming plans involves Simon Cowell, whose Syco Entertainment will partner with Univision for a reality series to find “the ultimate Latino boy band,” “La Banda.” Considering his success with another boy band out there (One Direction) Univision has high hopes for the show, with plans to add it to the schedule in 2015.
MLS soccer has made a deal with the network group to stay on Univision Deportes until 2022, with exclusive Spanish-language broadcast rights, and exclusive rights to the first Copa America Centenario in 2016. President of Content Distribution Tonia O’Connor also presented its new site Flama, the digital initiative that had previously been introduced at its NewFront last year with five series added to the mix this year.
“Univision is the one company that can offer advertisers the transmedia solutions to engage deeply with Hispanic consumers and build the lasting relationships that will move the needle for their brands,” said Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications. “We are Hispanic America’s most trusted media source and are everywhere our audience is.”
Other new programming endeavors for Univision and sister net UniMás include novelas “La Gata,” “Hasta El Fin Del Mundo,” “Mi Corazon Es Tuyo” and “La Malquerida.” The portfolio of 16 networks over broadcast, cable and digital platforms, includes Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey Network, which recently ordered a second season of “From Dusk Till Dawn.”
Telemundo upped Luis Silberwasser to president of the network today ahead of its upfront presentation, where Telemundo and mun2 promised 800 hours of original programming through the next season. Included in this plan are telenovelas (including “Les Miserables” adaptation “Los Miserables”), reality projects and sports. It will become the home of the FIFA World Cup next year (Univision will air the tournament this summer) though the network stressed the importance of soccer in the Hispanic community.
“Now that Telemundo and Mun2 are fully integrated into the world of NBCUniversal, there has never been a better time for marketers to connect with Hispanic consumers with unprecedented scale and power, regardless of language,” said Mike Rosen, Telemundo Media’s EVP advertising sales.
Read more at Broadcasting & Cable and The Hollywood Reporter.
Brief Take: Univision’s programming strategy will rely on Simon Cowell, a proven name in reality, as well as a singing reality series, which has seen huge success in gaining engaged, younger viewers on similar networks such as Telemundo’s ratings hit “La Voz Kids.”
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