The official transition of mun2 to NBC Universo on Sunday will be a highly defining moment for the network in more ways than one.
The modern general-entertainment cable service for Latinos has inked a deal with DirecTV for high-definition carriage. Subscribers at the nation’s leading DBS providers will be able to watch all of NBC Universo’s programming in the high-definition format on Feb. 1, highlighted by the network’s exclusive Spanish-language telecast of Super Bowl XLIX.
Deal terms were not disclosed.
While the DirecTV pact marks NBC Universo’s initial HD carriage entry, officials at NBC Universo, which counts some 40 million subscribers, are continuing to engage all of its affiliates in those conversations.
In the meantime, NBC Universo will look to provide more exposure for its coming out party via a free preview for the day with DirecTV, AT&T U-verse, Cox, Verizon FiOS, Dish, Cablevision and corporate parent Comcast that will make it available to 74 million homes.
On Super Bowl Sunday, NBC Universo viewers will be greeted at 1 a.m. by Bienvenidos a NBC Universo, a half-hour show outlining what viewers can expect from the service. The program will also air after the conclusion of NBC Universo’s coverage of the Super Bowl, a presentation that will make it the second Spanish-language network to air the NFL championship in the States.
After the post-game airing of Bienvenidos a NBC Universo, the network will air a special preview of its first new acquired series. Crónica de Castas is a nine-episode fictional drama series that was filmed in the small, impoverished neighborhood of Tepito in Mexico City. The show follows the lives of polarizing characters with plenty of secrets whose stories revolve around the local Hotel Galicia. The Sunday night airing marks the pay TV debut of the series in the U.S., before it unfurls in full later this winter.
The network’s opening day lineup also features a host of Super Bowl-related specials sporting among other things, highlights from Media Day, an interview with halftime entertainer Katy Perry, a behind-the-scenes look at its production game plan and the best performers from Super Bowl halftimes past. The official pregame show starts at 5 p.m.
Content will be accessible to all users at nbcuniverso.com.
