Dish Latino this month added Utilísima to its Spanish-language offering, making strides in the largely untapped market for Hispanic women-focused content on pay television.
The deal, whose terms were not disclosed, gives Dish Network satellite exclusivity, though the channel is already available on several cable platforms.
Utilísima is by no means new. It started more than a decade ago in Argentina, but its content was largely made by and for South American audiences, with little to no relevant content for U.S. Hispanic audiences. Then, in 2007 Utilísima was sold to Fox Latin American channel for a reported $15 million, after which Fox underwent a revamping of the content and distribution.
Part of the revamping was the creation of a second programming feed, which according to both parties focuses more on the U.S. Hispanic audiences. Among the show scheduled to run only in the U.S. are food fare Mi Cuba, Sabores de ensueño and El show de Roberto Treviño.
"Imagine having the Food Network and Home and Garden network in one channel, but speaking to Hispanic audiences," said Ruben Mendiola, general manager of Dish Latino in explaining the content of Utilísima.
The channel launched this summer in Puerto Rico and has tapped former Miss World, Puerto Rico-borne Ivonne Orsini as spokesperson.
