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Perhaps mimicking the multicultural infusion in this country, Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo will be more fully aligned with its NBCUniversal English-language siblings, as part of what the network tabs its “TMI”—Total Market Innovation approach.
“We’ve made great progress in leveraging some of the most powerful brands in television within our company,” Joe Uva, chairman of Hispanic Enterprises and content for NBCU, said at last week’s Telemundo upfront, referencing the network’s successful adaptations of NBC’s The Voice (La Voz Kids) and Bravo’s Top Chef (Top Chef Estrellas).
Telemundo, which will have new president Luis Silberwasser in place in August, still plans to maintain its status as the top producer of original Spanishlanguage content for U.S. audiences with more than 800 new hours this year.
The programming is top-lined by five new novelas, including a modern take on Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Misérables, and Dueños del Paraíso, which features the return of La Reina Del Sur’s Kate Del Castillo.
Sunday’s all-reality lineup will boast new musical competition series Yo Soy El Artista joining new seasons of La Voz Kids and Top Chef Estrellas. This summer, Miss Latina Universo comes to the Sunday lineup as well.
Telemundo unveiled the next two projects from its multiplatform studio Fluency, which debuts its first production, ISA, next month: The Home Team (working title), about a group of strong-willed Indiana high school girls; and Nobody Walks In LA (working title), which centers on three young friends caught in a heist.
Beginning in 2015, Telemundo will become the official Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup, featuring more than 550 hours across all platforms. This fall, Telemundo Sports and NBC Sports will launch an extensive digital experience in Spanishlanguage sports with top-tier live matches, results, interviews and analysis on deportestelemundo.com.
Telemundo also announced a partnership with Mashable, the first Hispanic video pact with the digital property. The initiative will put the most popular content from Mashable—in both English and Spanish— on Telemundo digital and social media platforms, including video-on-demand.
Sister cabler mun2, under new president Ruben Mendiola, is undergoing a brand repositioning, adding edgier scripted fare and an influx of live sports rights, including next February’s Super Bowl XLIX from Arizona.
