Univision has unveiled a unified streaming service following its merger with Televisa and has hired former Netflix exec Rodrigo Mazon to run it, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
After the Spanish-language broadcaster unveiled plans to launch an ad-supported streaming platform, the latest evolution will include a subscription tier and full access to Televisa’s content library once the merger deal closes. Plans for the unified streaming platform follow a merged Televisa-Univision entity heading worldwide to beat out Spanish-language pay TV rivals in what top executives see as a largely untapped global market beyond the US and Mexico.
As part of their merger, Mexico’s Televisa and Univision will combine media, production, and content into a new company to be called Televisa-Univision, with Wade Davis becoming CEO of the new entity.
The proposed comprehensive, two-tier global streaming service will launch in the US and Latin America in 2022 as Univision cherry picks from the existing PrendeTV, VIX, and Univision NOW services to create one global service and brand with a giant offering of Spanish language content.
The ad-supported tier, called PrendeTV, will include select originals, major studio films, premium Spanish-language titles, an expanded live sports offering and a 24/7 news service. The new premium subscription tier will offer over 6,000 hours of Spanish-language content and around 30 original productions exclusively on the service within its first year, with the first creators to include Maria Dueñas, Santiago Limon, and Mario Vargas Llosa.
Rodrigo Mazon joins Univision as executive VP and general manager of SVOD after most recently serving as VP, Content at Netflix. Mazon will oversee content and programming strategy, original content production, talent relations, content acquisitions from third-party producers, and subscriber growth and retention.
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