El Rey Network, revived by Cinedigm, has been launched on Comcast’s Xumo as both a free ad-supported linear channel and as a video-on-demand service.

The channel joins Xumo’s lineup of more than 200 channels, including an increasing amount of programming aimed at Hispanic viewers.

El Rey was launched in 2013 by director Robert Rodriguez, who continues to curate the channel’s programming and appears on the series The Director’s Chair. It was shut down in January 2021 as a cable network after financial partner Univision pulled out of the channel. 

“Robert Rodriguez, whose name is synonymous with creativity and innovation, has inspired a whole generation of filmmakers,” said Jennifer Soltesz, VP, business development and strategy at Cinedigm. “More than ever, representation matters, and, with this channel, Rodriguez has given a platform for Latinos to tell their stories and define themselves. Xumo allows the El Rey Network to reach a massive new audience and, through this curated vision, will allow the channel to generate substantial advertising revenue among a key demographic in the growing AVOD and FAST space.” ■

As pay TV bundles get skinnier and skinnier, Roku's Live TV Channel Guide gets fatter and fatter. 

The free-to-view home of more than 200 linear channels has added 17 more networks. The list is highlighted by the El Rey Network, a seven-year-old movie channel, founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, that left pay TV program grid last year after dropping below critical mass in terms of distribution, and co-investor Univision pulled its support. 

El Rey announced its launch on Roku earlier Monday. 

The added channels, which launch on Roku's ad-supported linear TV service Tuesday, also include a new network themed around Australian aughts-era kids classic series The Wiggles. 

The full list of 17 networks is below. 

Roku reported "platform revenue" (which is mainly advertising) of $532.3 million for the second quarter, a yearly growth benchmark of 117%. 

The company attributes much of that expansion to the Roku Channel and its associated components. 

"It's growing much faster than the overall platform and even the AVOD, the ad-supported segment overall," said Scott Rosenberg, senior VP and GM of Roku's platform biz, to equity analysts. "And so as a result, it is taking on increased prominence, increased importance over time, just as a supply source for our video advertising."

Here's the 17 added networks:

AccuWeather Now
Baywatch
CBC
El Rey
Estrella Games
FilmRise Kids
FilmRise True Crime
Haunt TV
IGN
Mega Noticias
RCN Más
Real Madrid TV
So...Real
The Only Way Is Essex
Tribeca Channel
The Wiggles powered by Loop Media, Inc.
Vivaldi

Roku, reviving another failed media outlet, said it will be the first to bring the revived El Rey Network to streaming viewers on Aug. 17.

El Rey shut down as a cable network after seven years on Jan. 1, shortly after Univision pulled out of the channel.

Roku this year also revived programming from Quibi, the short-form mobile streaming service that spent billions on content but quickly went out of business. Roku has dubbed the Quibi shows as “Roku Originals.”

The El Rey channel was started by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.

Roku said it will give streamers access to more than 150 hours of original programming and be the first AVOD destination to watch Rodriguez’s feature film Red 11.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to embark on an exciting new journey with Robert Rodriguez and El Rey Network,” said Ashley Hovey, director of AVOD, The Roku Channel.

“With 9 out of 10 U.S. Hispanic households streaming in the U.S., it is clear there is a growing demand for engaging, high quality Latinx entertainment. El Rey is changing the programming world in an exciting way that speaks to the future of audience discovery and engagement,” Hovey said. “AVOD is the place for content creators to connect with highly engaged audiences and The Roku Channel is proud to be the exclusive first ever streaming home for the El Rey Network.”

Cinedigm said it reached an agreement to revive filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey network, which folded on cable at the end of last year.

The new El Rey will be a streaming service, with Cinedigm providing distribution through its network of distributors. Cinedigm said this marks the first time that a cable brand has pivoted completely from linear to streaming. 

Also Read: Cinedigm Building a Streaming Channel Around Real Madrid

“El Rey has always been a network for the people -- a mainstream outlet where we discover diverse, independent voices. The fact that we can also now make our catalogue of kick-ass programming available for free to all gives me enormous joy,” Rodriguez said. "As audiences move deliberately to streaming, it was important for me to democratize our platform so that the masses have the opportunity to see themselves in our lineup of curated, inclusive and entertaining content. This is a huge win in every way, and I want to thank Cinedigm for putting fans first with this new alliance."

Also read: El Rey Network (2013-2020) Seeks Digital Afterlife 

As part of their deal, Cinedigm will work with El Rey to partner with like-minded advertising brands on custom content and will distribute Rodriguez’s feature film Red 11 and the companion docuseries, Rebel Without A Crew: The Robert Rodriguez Film School, exclusively to all platforms.

Featured El Rey Network content includes Rodriguez’s conversations with creatives like John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino in The Director's Chair; Rebel Without A Crew: The Series, in which filmmakers set out to make their first feature under Rodriguez’s guidance; a library of unscripted franchises including The Chuey Martinez Show and feature films that run the genre gamut from grindhouse to cult classic action to horror/sci-fi.

“What was once only available to those with expensive cable packages is now available through a variety of mediums. The partnership with El Rey allows the channel to broaden its digital footprint, as well as expand the access of its incredible programming to audiences worldwide,” said Erick Opeka, president & chief strategy officer at Cinedigm.

“We’re excited to be stepping in at this important moment alongside the passion, dedication and forward-thinking vision that Robert Rodriguez brings to the table. In addition, Cinedigm’s strong advertising partner relationships with blue-chip demand partners like Magnite (SpotX/Springserve), Comcast’s Freewheel, Verizon Media, Xandr, just to name a few, will allow the channel to generate substantial advertising revenue among a key demographic in the growing AVOD & FAST space,” he said.

The English-language El Rey Network, founded by Rodriguez and production company FactoryMade, launched in December 2013 as one of the first four minority-owned networks Comcast promised to launch in seeking government approval to acquire NBCUniversal in 2011. In some 40 million homes at its peak, according to published reports, El Rey was in 13 million households when it shut down linear network operations about two months after financial partner Univision pulled out of the channel.

El Rey Network on Jan. 1 shut down its cable network feed after seven years, but will look to continue to reach its underserved, youth-targeted audience digitally. 

The English-language El Rey, founded by director/producer Robert Rodriguez and production company FactoryMade, launched in December 2013 as one of the first four minority-owned networks Comcast promised to launch in seeking government approval to acquire NBCUniversal in 2011. In some 40 million homes at its peak, according to published reports, El Rey was in 13 million households when it shut down linear network operations about two months after financial partner Univision Communications pulled out of the channel.  

ALSO READ: Representing Hispanics On Screen and Off

During its run, El Rey aimed for underserved millennial and Latino viewers through such shows as wrestling show Lucha Underground; soccer-themed scripted series Matador, with Gabriel Luna and Alfred Molina; and interview programs such as The Director’s Chair with Robert Rodriguez and politically themed Maria. 

El Rey also served as a vehicle for diverse actors and actresses and a venue for directors to tell their stories and showcase their talent. 

Co-founder Cris Patwa and Maria host Maria Cardona discussed next steps for the El Rey brand. An edited version of the interview appears below. 

MCN: How much did Univision’s decision in November to pull financial support of the network influence El Rey’s move to stop its linear feed? 

Cris Patwa: We just had two different agendas. That partnership was great for the first seven years, when it was about doing these cable bundle deals where they could negotiate for all of us on our behalf. But everybody now is turning to streaming, so it just makes more sense for us to be with a streaming partner to reach English-speaking viewers. Seventy one percent of the Latino community has proficiency in English, and that is where we have always been. So that’s kind of where we are in the process of what we're calling chapter two amongst ourselves. Robert has already started to see success in that — his We Can Be Heroes movie on Netflix was the No. 1 movie [on the platform]. There is no way a network like ours could get the kind of distribution to be in front of that many eyeballs, much less get that many people viewing in such a short period of time. Netflix has already commissioned a sequel to We Can Be Heroes, and there’s more work to be done with Netflix with [Rodriguez’s Spy Kids movie franchise]. The more we got to understand the streaming world, the more we realized that the mission is better actually served where all the eyeballs are going. We are going to be able to reach that many people who are Latino and hold to our mission of inclusivity. 

MCN: Was El Rey successful in accomplishing its mission during its cable run? 

Maria Cardona: When we launched El Rey, it was there to not just to help Comcast and NBCUniversal meet the obligation that they had promised to meet in order to get approval for their merger, but it was a really important mission for Robert Rodriguez. He was adamant that he didn’t want this to just be a place where people went for great entertainment. He wanted it to be an incubating mission, meaning that he wanted to make sure that El Rey Network was a place where young Latinos and young multicultural talent from actors to screenwriters, to directors, to producers, to showrunners, could have their voices heard. The other side of this is that El Rey was launched with massive support from the community and from grassroots activists, because they knew what a huge hole El Rey was going to be filling in terms of being the voice for Latinos in English. Robert created a diversity council [headed by Cardona] that was made up of the highest level of Latino leaders who advised him on how to navigate the sea of the political spectrum as well. We were at his side every step of the way from the creation of El Rey to, frankly, how it wound down and in looking at what the next iteration of [the company] will look like. 

MCN: Will you maintain the El Rey brand as part of any agreement you reach with a streaming service? 

CP: That is really part of the discussion. You can imagine some streamers have sub-brands within their brand where they try to delineate Black and Brown voices or diversity on screen, so I think each one is experimenting. El Rey Studios will continue to exist, but the streamers are all taking a different strategy so we’re talking to all of them. 

ALSO READ: El Rey Network Debuts Maria Cardona Talk Show 'Maria'

MCN: Will any streaming deal also include El Rey’s library product? 

MC: We have hundreds of hours in library content, so there’s so much content that I think others are interested in, whether it’s the Lucha Underground show or even the Maria show. The network has something that people have been interested in and could live under another brand or live under the El Rey brand. Also, another beauty about working with Robert is that El Rey is so connected to him, but the real brand is really Robert Rodriguez. Everything else El Rey does will be able to be uplifted just because it's connected to him. 

CP: Each streamer is different. Some might be interested in the Lucha, some are interested in the network’s documentary programming and some are interested in the talk stuff like the [The Director’s Chair] and Maria. We’re curious to see after they really dive into each one to see what they think could be an interesting fit and how they would go about looking at this with us.

MCN: What is El Rey’s legacy within the industry?

CP: Just as BET spawned the careers of so many through their platform, El Rey has given opportunities for Latino actors and directors to shine. The great thing is they come back to the community and build more stories and they bring more Latinos into their stories. They are reaching into the culture that’s here, not something that’s bought and imported from abroad. 

MC: Before Gabriel Luna was the Terminator [in the film Terminator: Dark Fate], he starred in one of El Rey’s first original series [Matador]. He may have never received that kind of exposure had he not gotten his start at El Rey Network. There are so many stories similar to that one, but I think that one really paints the picture of what Robert wanted El Rey to be. 

Univision Communications said it has divested its minority stake in El Rey Nework, the cable channel and production studio created by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade.

El Rey will continue as an independently owned entity.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“This is an important and significant milestone for El Rey, and we’re thrilled to have full ownership of our brand,” said Rodriguez, chairman, El Rey. “Thanks to Univision’s support and guidance, El Rey has been able to achieve more than we ever imagined and I’m confident that with this strong foundation we will continue to successfully serve one of the most important and influential audiences.” 

Univision appears to be trying to clean up its balance sheet as it moves towards completing its sale to ForgeLight and Searchlight Capital Partners. The transaction is expected to be completed later this year.

“Univision initially partnered with Robert and the El Rey team in an effort to support an innovative brand with the goal of successfully reaching young Hispanics in a way that nobody had done before,” said Vince Sadusky, CEO of Univision. “We look forward to watching all that El Rey will undoubtedly accomplish in the future. For Univision, we remain focused on the anticipated close of our transaction with ForgeLight and Searchlight and we are excited about all that lies ahead.”

El Rey Network tonight (June 22) is launching Maria, an hourlong talk show aimed at Latinos in this election year, airing Mondays through Wednesdays. The channel has ordered 39 episodes of the show, which airs at 7 and 10 p.m. ET.

The host is a public policy advocate, a principal at the Dewey Square Group, leading the Multicultural and Public Affairs practices, and a CNN political contributor. Guests scheduled for the opening episode include co-host Amy Hinojosa, president and CEO of MANA, a National Latina organization, and Cid Wilson, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility. Tuesday's slated guests are Sister Norma Pimentel of Catholic Charities and Los Angeles Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, District 51. Wednesday's scheduled guests are Monica Ramirez, founder of Justice for Migrant Women, and Congressman Gil Cisneros (Democrat in California).

El Rey Network is an English-language entertainment channel jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in a position to contribute to the conversation about the relevance and significance of Latino culture and voices in the U.S., but being in the driver’s seat is a humbling opportunity that Robert and El Rey have made possible," Cardona said in a statement. "As we face what is arguably the most important election in a generation, we want to empower U.S. Latinos at this critical moment – to understand that they can have a seat at the table – that they don’t need permission to act, they just need to share their voices so they ring in the ears of those in Washington who may be hearing, but not listening. In my experience, you must be able to start a conversation to have one and right now, having that conversation and demanding change is more important than ever.”

Rodriguez said in the statement: “El Rey is a radically different storytelling platform – an opportunity to leverage the many creative and independent voices in the Latinx community. Maria is yet another talented voice we are amplifying -- with her years of politics, media, and advocacy, she is uniquely positioned to share the stories of our community on the front lines. On behalf of our partners and stakeholders, I am thrilled to have Maria Cardona spearheading this important program and I urge everyone to not just tune in but to take a stand.”

El Rey Network this fall will search for the best tacos in the country in a new series, United Tacos of America, the network announced Wednesday.

The series, hosted by "taco journalists" and best-selling authors Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece, will seek to discover new flavors and cultures built around tacos, according to network officials.

“Good food, especially tacos, brings people of all nationalities together,” said Robert Rodriguez, Head of El Rey Network in a statement. “As a foodie myself I can’t be more excited that Mando and Jarod’s show United Tacos of America will showcase the love we all share for Mexican food across this country. We are proud that El Rey Network is continuing its mission of highlighting the authentic and positive stories our culture brings to this amazing nation”

El Rey Network is adding a pair of new pop-culture evening talk shows, one built around East Los Angeles TV/radio personality Chuey Martinez and the other a geek-fandom panel show. They debut on Thursday, May 2, at 10 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET on the network. 

The Chuey Martinez Show (30 minutes) "aims to celebrate all things music, gaming, art, culture, and entertainment along with a healthy smattering of off-the-wall comedy and irreverent skits," El Rey Network said. El Rey Nation Show, also 30 minutes, will feature "a diverse ensemble of social media stars discussing and dissecting the worlds of gaming, film, and comic books. The talk show is an enthusiastic celebration of fan culture and full of impassioned opinions. It was created to tap into the larger pop-culture conversation and serve as a platform and a voice to the loyal viewers and all of El Rey Nation." Both are produced in Los Angeles.

“From its launch, El Rey Network has created opportunities for Latinos in front and behind the camera,” Daniel Tibbets, the president and general manager of El Rey Network. “We are continuing that mission by introducing our fans to the extraordinary talent featured on both of these new shows.”

The El Rey Nation Show panel features: Hector Navarro, who's worked with Geek & Sundry and Nerdist, hosted an animation podcast for Nickelodeon and currently can be seen on DC Daily; Kelly Nugent, an actor, comedian, gamer and podcaster who can be found GMing or Role Playing on HyperRPG and Saving Throw Show; Vanessa Gritton, a writer, stand-up comedian and sketch performer, notably with Nightchurch, a sketch horror-comedy team; Cameron Rice, a director and photographer who’s performed and written in the Los Angeles comedy scene as well as in the San Francisco Sketchfest, Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) and the Sacramento Comedy Festival; Vivian Martinez, a stand-up comedian from Los Angeles who has opened for Nick Thune and performs throughout the city; and Omar Najam, a writer, director and avid RPG player from the Bay Area who has performed improv and produced videos for companies such as Geek & Sundry, DC Comics, BBC America, FOX and Disney XD. 

El Rey Network is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios Inc.

VRV said two original series from El Rey Network -- Man at Arms: Art of War and Robert Rodriguez’s The Director’s Chair – are being made available on the Ellation-owned SVOD aggregation service.

Season one of both series are available for streaming on VRV Select, VRV’s curated house channel that’s part of a $9.99 per month premium bundle that includes several other services, including Crunchyroll, Funimation, Rooster Teeth, Tested, Shudder and Nerdist.

Update:As a clarification, VRV is now the exclusive streaming service for those two series, which continue to run on El Rey Network, with new episodes in production. While VRV is the exclusive streaming home for The Director's Chair, it is also being sold (via download) on iTunes ($2.99 per episode, or $29.99 for all of season one). 

The Director’s Chair, produced by Troublemaker Studios and Skip Film with FactoryMade, is a series featuring interviews between directors and host Robert Rodriguez. Past guests include Sylvester Stallone, John Carpenter, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, George Miller, Guillermo del Toro, Robert Zemeckis, Frank Darabont, Jon Favreau and Quentin Tarantino.

Man at Arms: Art of War, hosted by Danny Trejo and produced by DEFY, features a team of expert craftsmen who reproduce iconic weapons and armor from scratch.

VRV has not announced subscriber figures, but says it has more than 1.5 million registered users. The additions of the two original series expands on VRV’s move into content that extends beyond genres like gaming, fantasy, comedy and anime that dominated the service’s focus when it launched in late 2016.

RELATED: VRV Adds Drama Fever to Lineup

“The Director’s Chair and Man at Arms: Art of War lifts the curtain and presents a fascinating look at how things are made – whether it’s beloved films or iconic weapons,” Daniel Tibbets, president and GM of El Rey, said in a statement. “I anticipate that the VRV audience will embrace these series as enthusiastically as the El Rey audience.”

RELATED: VRV to Add CuriosityStream to SVOD Mix, Launch Offline Viewing

For independent and niche-targeted cable networks, it’s tough to stand out from peak television’s burgeoning crowd. Such programmers are counting on this week’s cable portion of the nearly three-week Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour to put themselves in the spotlight.

Durning the two-day cable schedule (Jan. 13-14), more than 30 cable networks and streaming services will present their new and current scripted and reality shows to the more than 200 TCA member writers gathered in Pasadena, Calif. The cable sessions are facilitated by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing.

Get complete coverage of the 2017 Winter Press Tour.

The Winter TCA, which officially launched last Thursday (Jan. 5) with presentations from the broadcast networks, generated headlines this past November when NBC, ABC and CBS decided to eliminate the tour’s traditional executive panels. Those sessions allow reporters to ask executives about industry trends and upcoming show developments.

Premium programmer Starz, as well as streaming services Amazon and Netflix, decided to sit out the winter tour, leading some industry observers to question the event’s continued news value.

But Reelz, WGN America and other small players set to present this week say TCA is an invaluable forum to get the word out on their upcoming projects.

“TCA is critical because an independent network doesn’t have the reach and clout that the big conglomerates have for their broadcast and cable networks to speak to media of all shapes and sizes,” Reelz CEO Stan Hubbard said. The network will look to promote its upcoming miniseries The Kennedys — After Camelot, starring Katie Holmes and Matthew Perry.

“TCA provides to an opportunity for an independent network like Reelz to really put our best foot forward in a forum that would otherwise be difficult for us to duplicate,” he said.

The tour gives WGN America, which will promote its drama series Underground and Outsiders at TCA, a means to reach out to entertainment media alongside larger network and streaming service competitors.

“In a world of 400-plus scripted shows, not to mention the competition of all other forms of entertainment, TCA is an opportunity to take an audience that comprises the majority of the entertainment press and to capture their attention and imagination,” WGN America president and general manager Matt Cherniss said. “If your show and network can intrigue in an environment in which hundreds of shows, compressed in a few weeks, are attempting to set themselves apart from the crowd, then it’s a strong sign that the show can do the same for the audience as well.”

Even though it’s not scheduled to present a particular show, El Rey Network president and general manager Daniel Tibbets said the ability to talk to TV critics about the network’s development and future plans in an executive forum is important for the emerging network.

“TCA offers a great opportunity for me to have an actual conversation with critics from all over the country about our strategy, which is unique in this ever-shifting media landscape,” Tibbets said.

Even with opportunities to promote shows on digital platforms and through social media, Hubbard said there’s no substitute for talking and promoting television shows through forums that are TV-oriented.

“At the end of the day TV is TV,” Hubbard, who is also an investor in independent arts network Ovation TV, said. “YouTube is not TV, and TV is not YouTube.

“People still watch a lot of TV shows by sitting down and viewing it on a television set,” he said. “For a network like ours, it’s still about people watching television and that’s what advertisers still pay for, and that’s why TCA is so critical for us.”

El Rey Network, the male-centric channel founded by director Robert Rodriguez to reach Latinos and others in the 18-to-49 demo, wants to expand its base by reaching out to working-class men of all backgrounds, a reaction in part to the surprising election of Donald Trump as the next president.

The network’s target group, dubbed “strivers,” represents working- and middleclass male viewers who defy typical age and race metrics to represent more of a sociographic class, network president and general manager Daniel Tibbets said. He pointed to a recent Wall Street Journal report stating that this group of Hispanic, black and Asian workers, ages 18 to 63, with less than a bachelor’s degree level of education, is projected to represent the majority of U.S. workers by 2032.

Tibbets, former chief operating officer of digital content service Machinima, spoke with Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about the 45-million subscriber network’s new brand positioning and its plans to increase original programming by 50%, both on the linear channel and on social media platforms.

MCN:How would you currently define the El Rey Network brand and target audience?

Daniel Tibbets: I would define it as a multiplatform brand that represents the voices, tastes, lifestyle and attitude of culturally diverse people everywhere. It has been, and continues to be, positioned in a very authentic viewpoint as representing America, which is very diverse — something I don’t think entertainment companies have done that authentically right.

Today, you hear a lot about diversity and a lot about companies saying, “Oh we have to go there.” That’s not authentic. When Robert created this network, he created it because he wanted to have people like him represented on the screen in the right way. So when we think about development and programming production, and even our operation as a whole, we’re living, breathing and talking about that point of view in the right way.

What we’re starting to say now is that our audience is working-class America, which is now becoming middleclass America. So that working-class, middle-class America is the social-economic status that we’re seeing.

One of the leading factors of this, which I think is not being addressed in the market today, is that by 2032 the majority of the working class/new middle class of America will be the minorities in this country, and it’s being led by Latinos. We’re calling our audience strivers because when you look at who is ultimately watching our network, that’s who they are.

We’re not going away from our Latino heritage or positioning. It’s the simple fact that our audience, from a social-cultural-economic standpoint, is growing and it’s growing to be more diverse.

MCN:How do you sell the network’s more sociographic focus to advertisers who are predominantly looking to reach viewers by demographic?

DT: What I’m finding is, advertisers are more interested in following the consumer across dayparts and devices. So, if I know I’m going after a particular psychographic consumer — which is more valuable to me as an advertiser, because I know exactly who they are and know their buying habits and what they’re interested in — then the question is, how am I tracking while they’re using mobile or the computer while they’re watching TV?

We’re following that consumer and providing them the information about my brand, and that’s more valuable at the end of the day to advertisers. We know who that consumer is and we know that they skew African-American and Latino, and we know that they’re watching the brand across multiple platforms.

Right now, our total audience viewership is more than 50% minorities — African-American, Latino and Asian. So we made a strategic decision to focus the brand voice on this new working class and middle class we define as diverse people that live by a code and are going to leave their mark. They create their own lane and they’re not following the status quo. They’re looking to achieve independence; they excel at a craft. When you say working class, I think a lot of advertisers identify with that.

MCN:How will El Rey’s content reflect the network’s new brand identity?

DT: I think what the election kind of highlighted is that working-class America goes home. They want to click on the TV and they want to be entertained. El Rey does that very well, whether it’s through kung fu and action movies or original series like [wrestling series] Lucha Underground — it’s escapism.

We’re making a big commitment to do even more original programming in 2017, which we’re going to talk about after the first of the year. But all that development is falling into the lines of our commitment to target strivers and feature diversity in our programming.

We’re going to be moving into non-scripted lifestyle programming that again represents the hobbies and interests of strivers … one can imagine the docuseries that we can move into. Scripted of course will remain a big foundation of the network. We will continue to talk about some new scripted series in 2017.

MCN:Will you look to be aggressive in developing programming in the digital space?

DT: There will also be original content creation that absolutely represents our brand and our audience in digital and social media. We want to develop content that creates interest and excitement for the brand on Facebook Live or Snapchat or YouTube — whatever the digital platform is — but also creates awareness and viewership for the network as a whole. It becomes more of a content brand strategy.

Multicultural-themed programming is riding a wave of ratings and critical success on TV, but that rising tide isn’t lifting all boats.

From Emmy Award-winning shows like Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and its multicultural cast, to ratings hits like Fox’s Empire, Starz’s Power and ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat and Black-ish, ethnically diverse TV content is hot. But even in such a TV climate, executives at independently owned multicultural networks said their services still struggle to gain widespread distribution.

Even with a growing base of multicultural subscribers who watch more hours of television than white viewers — along with an increase of young, multicultural millennials who are either cord-cutters or cable-nevers — distributors aren’t rushing to sign up networks that target the industry’s current and future subscribers, executives said.

“Overall, 40% of the population is multicultural, so what all that means is multicultural is now the new mainstream,” said Tonia O’Connor, chief commercial officer and president of content distribution for Univision Communications, which also handles distribution duties for four-year-old, male-targeted El Rey Network and young, Hispanic audience-targeted news service Fusion.

“It’s good business to be in this business,” O’Connor said. “Whether distributors have come to embrace it yet or not, they absolutely have to in order to continue to have any growth in the future — they can no longer ignore the multicultural consumer or opportunity.”

A HOT CATEGORY

While most television observers recognize today’s lineup of quality content from cable, broadcast and over-the-top digital services like Netflix as a new Golden Age of Television, it’s also arguably the most prolific time for multicultural programming.

This comes as the U.S. grows more diverse, and as diverse groups grow more influential determining in how and when entertainment content is delivered.

African-Americans watched more than 44 hours of live and time-shifted TV a week during fourth-quarter 2015, well above the 31-hour average for all adults, according to the recent Nielsen Total Audience Report. Hispanics nearly double all viewers in minutes spent watching video on smartphones, while Asian-Americans use multimedia devices to view television nearly a full hour more than the general public does.

Given those realities, the assumption would be that multichannel-video providers would be aggressive in launching networks aimed at the growing, highly influential multicultural audience. But network executives said some distributors have yet to recognize the value of multicultural content.

Most high-profile shows with appeal to multicultural audiences air on mainstream networks backed by major media companies, Africa Channel executive vice president of content and global operations Narendra Reddy said, adding that independently-owned multicultural channels don’t have the budget or staff to develop and market such programming. But that doesn’t mean Africa Channel’s scripted movies and reality shows originating from the continent are any less valuable or appealing to multicultural viewers, Reddy said.

He added that most favored nations language in contracts, restrictions on social-media marketing and promotion of content on the Web, and a lack of negotiating power during contract talks have hampered Africa Channel’s ability to gain distribution as an independent network.

“Even if the heads of programming for these various distributors believe that this content that we have will resonate with audiences, basically they’re forced to carry networks from the companies that have far greater leverage than we do,” Reddy said.

That doesn’t sit well with multicultural viewers who respond favorably to content targeted toward them. According to a recent Horowitz Race, Diversity and Media survey, 64% of multicultural millennials said they found television shows featuring a mainly multicultural cast appealing, compared to 44% of white viewers.

Yet beyond a few select shows, network executives say such images are rare on the current lineup of cable channels.

STILL AN UNDERSERVED AUDIENCE

“A multicultural cable subscriber today sees his or her dollar being mainstream, but the reality is when they look at what’s being offered they’re seeing that there’s just not that much there,” said Mark Walton, president of sales and marketing for One Caribbean Television. “Even though you may see an article or some conversation around all of this, from the consumer’s perspective it gets back to ‘I have 500 channels and I only have four or five that are addressing some of the interests I have.’ ”

One Caribbean Television, which offers entertainment, news and weather content from such Caribbean nations as the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and Barbados, is currently offered on RCN with the network in distribution talks with several other operators. One Caribbean targets the nearly 10 million to 20 million African-Americans who have some connection to the Caribbean, as well as mainstream viewers who travel and have interest in the region.

“The consumer is paying X dollars but is getting X minus dollars in terms of value to them,” Walton said. “In order to breach that gap and reduce churn, you have to have the offerings that that consumer wants.”

Network executives said they recognize that MVPDs are under pressure to curb programming costs and adjust programming packages to prevent younger subscribers from churning or shifting to over-the-top subscription VOD services.

“[Distributors] might not be as confident to take risks on launching multicultural-themed channels,” Miguel Santos, general manager for Asian-American targeted network Myx TV, said. “The business environment is di_ cult — they’re seeing some churn, so it’s making a lot of MVPD executives risk-averse. They don’t really see at the moment the value of multicultural channels.”

One executive who said she does recognize the value of multicultural content is Verizon Fios executive director of content strategy and acquisition Michelle Webb. She told the Horowitz Associates Cultural Insights Forum in March that the telco is looking to balance that with finding the best ways to offer the most choice to consumers.

“It’s all about managing demand and bandwidth considerations,” she said.

Aspire TV has seen some small but noteworthy movement on the distribution front, vice president of business affairs and channel operations Melissa Ingram said. The African-American-targeted network, founded by basketball hall of famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson, has seen its subscriber rolls grow to 34 million viewers since its 2012 launch; it projects it will be in 37 million homes by year-end.

“Not only is [the multicultural] audience is requesting this type of programming but … from a business standpoint, affiliates are starting to understand the importance of having diverse content,” she said. “They’ve seen the success of shows like Empire and they’ve seen a movement by subscribers demanding such content, which is forcing these large distributors to understand the importance and value of it and to get more content like that on their systems.”

As networks continue to push for linear distribution, others are exploring the Web in an eff ort to generate interest and awareness for their brands. Networks such as Myx TV, Fuse and One Caribbean Television use apps to give viewers a chance to check out video content from the networks, as well as some live programming.

BOOSTING ONLINE REACH

“If you want to reach a younger audience, you have to be available on all of the relevant devices, and you have to have content that’s available on-demand,” Fuse Media CEO Michael Schwimmer said. “Obviously, you have to be able to balance that with the network’s role within the pay TV ecosystem, but I think that it’s all doable and important. Anybody that doesn’t have a strong digital presence does so at their own risk.”

Myx TV’s Santos believes networks targeting multicultural millennials in particular may find online distribution a more attractive way of exposing the brand to key audiences. Asian-Americans, especially, tend to watch content online on various mobile devices, so anyone looking to reach that audience would fare well in the digital space, according to Santos.

Myx TV is considering launching an OTT service in the near future, although Santos would not disclose a time frame. “OTT is possibly the key to diversifying entertainment,” he said. “Given the competitive environment and the uncertainty within the industry, it would behoove us to look at all options to really get our content out.

“In the end, the power is with the viewer, and they will decide where they want to watch their content — if they want to watch it over the top we should be there, and if they want to watch it on a linear platform we should be there, too.”

Fans of lucha libre can now enjoy a second season of the Mark Burnett-produced Lucha Underground, El Rey Network’s hour-long weekly reality series about the action and stars of Mexican-style wrestling.

Burnett is teaming with United Artists Media Group, El Rey Network chairman and founder Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures, a Los Angeles-based "entertainment and media incubator" and El Rey co-owner, on the second season. Production is underway in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles.

The series will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) staring Jan. 27. Leading up to the second-season premiere, El Rey will air five hours of back-to-back episodes from season one on Wednesdays from 8 p.m to 1 a.m., starting Jan. 6. El Rey will then hand over its entire programming grid to Lucha Underground with a 40-hour marathon of the entire first season from Saturday, Jan. 23, at 10 a.m. (ET) to  Sunday, Jan. 24 at 2 a.m. (ET).

“Mark Burnett and his team have delivered a truly compelling series and we are proud to bring the ancient traditions of lucha libre to life in an unexpected and action-packed format that has become a favorite for wrestling fans everywhere," Rodriguez said.

Meanwhile, El Rey has confirmed that its signature offering, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, will return for a third season. El Rey Network's lineup also includes a wide range of cult films and TV series.

El Rey Network's series The Director's Chair hosts Academy Award-winning director Francis Ford Coppola on March 2, with network founder and chairman Robert Rodriguez, a noted director in his own right, interviewing him about his legacy and the world of filmmaking.

Coppola reveals his reticence to direct both The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II films; offers new insight into the well documented struggles on the set of Apocalypse Now; his early inspirations; and how he managed to work within the Hollywood system.

Following the one-hour interview, El Rey Network airs its premiere of Coppola's The Conversation (1974), starring Gene Hackman as a government agent caught in a quandary over his surveillance assignment. Coppola wrote, directed and produced the film, which won the Palme d'Or at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival.

The episode of El Rey Network Presents: The Directors Chair airs on Tuesday, March 2, at 8:00 p.m. The Conversation follows at 9:00 p.m.

Actress Elizabeth Peña, who recently completed work as a regular on El Rey Network series Matador and also appeared on ABC's Modern Family, has died at age 55 of undisclosed natural causes after a brief illness, according to obituaries. Her death was reported by her nephew, Mario Francisco-Robles, in an obituary and tribute on Wednesday.

In Matador, she played the mother of lead character Tony Bravo (Gabriel Luna). El Rey Network said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague, Elizabeth Peña. She was a role model, a truly extraordinary performer and an inspiration in every sense of the word. Our thoughts are with Elizabeth's family and friends during this difficult time. She will be deeply missed.”

Her career (IMDB) was well chronicled in Francisco-Robles's Latino-Review.com article and in outlets including THR.com, which noted her memorable roles in John Sayles film Lone Star, for which she won an Independent Spirit Award, La Bamba and Down and Out In Beverly Hills. On Modern Family, she played the mother of Sofia Vergara's character. She also starred in the 1980s ABC sitcom I Married Dora, about a green-card marriage, and was a series regular in (and directed an episode of) Showtime's Resurrection Blvd.

Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who starred alongside her in La Bamba (1987), said on Twitter: "I am stunned and heartbroken, just found out about the passing of my friend Elizabeth Peña. She was such a Life Force it's hard to believe. Elizabeth was not only an amazing actress, she was one of the most vibrant, wonderful people I have ever known. My prayers to her family."

El Rey Network has named Skip Chaisson as senior vice president, Creative & On-Air Promotion. In his new role, Chaisson will report to vice chair Scott Sassa and network founder and chairman Robert Rodriguez.

The new hire stems from an established working relationship between Rodriguez and Skip Film, the production company which Chaisson founded and will continue to oversee. 

"I have worked with Skip for years and can't imagine a more skilled creative in this crucial network role. His vision and uncompromising commitment to excellence has been an inspiration to me and I know that the future of El Rey Network is very bright with Skip at the helm of viewers' on-air experience," said Rodriguez in a statement. 

Skip Film produces movie trailers in addition to advertising and original programming, and the company's team will have an "in-house role at El Rey," according to a statement by Sassa. 

Prior to founding his company, Chaisson worked as a director and editor of film trailers for major theatrical releases. 

James Callis, the actor best known for his role as Dr. Gaius Baltar on the Sci-Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica series, has been added to the cast of spy thriller Matador. 

Matador, which premieres on the El Rey Network on Tuesday, July 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, follows the story of Tony “Matador” Bravo, a professional soccer player who doubles as a CIA agent. Bravo is portrayed by Gabriel Luna. 

Matador was created by Roberto Orci, Dan Dworkin, Jay Beattie and Andrew Orci. 

Robert Rodriguez has decided to base the production and corporate headquarters for his new English-language action-adventure channel, El Rey Network, near the home base of his Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas.

The start-up service, which already films its centerpiece program, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, in the Texas capital, committed to filming other scripted and unscripted content in the state. From Dusk Till Dawn will begin production on its second season later this year; El Rey Network's original series Matador will debut on July 15 but is produced in Los Angeles. The network said this will be the first time a general entertainment network has a formal production home in the Lone Star State.

El Rey's targeted 18-49 male audience includes in its core younger Latinos living in English-speaking households. The network said the choice of Texas accentuates the state's "identity as a beacon state for American Latino culture and entertainment."

"As a filmmaker and founder of El Rey Network, I can't imagine a more iconic and inspiring location for our production headquarters or for the filming of our upcoming projects," Rodriguez said in a release.

The network did not say whether or not the city or state offered financial incentives, or if specific job or spending commitments were made in return. But Gov. Rick Perry and Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell were both quoted in the release, with the mayor saying "Austin is home to creative, talented people who do pioneering, game-changing work, and Robert Rodriguez exemplifies our creative base of talent." Calls to state and city spokespeople were not immediately returned. (Update: Melissa Alvarado, public information officer for Austin's Economic Development Department, said the city did not offer any incentives. Neither did the state, said Rich Parsons, deputy communications director in Gov. Perry's office.)

El Rey Network was founded by Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, backed by Univision Networks & Studios, and launched this past March 11 on cable and satellite distributors including Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable (via a Univision affiliation deal) and Dish Network. It has a current base of about 40 million subscribers.

Pictured: Robert Rodriguez of El Rey Network and Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell in an El Rey Network photo.

As season one of the network’s first scripted original comes to a close, El Rey Network is taking a page from the cult movie to launch a new multi-platform promotional campaign called “Slaves for Santánico” to drive fan engagement for From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series.

The marketing initiative will allow fans to call the Santánico party line (1-800-315-2744) to engage in a short, responsive conversation with the character of Santánico Pandemonium, who is portrayed in the series by Eiza Gonzalez. All callers will be asked “What would you do for Santánico Pandemonium?” Responses will be recorded and potentially shared across the El Rey Network’s various social media platforms as well as on SlavesForSantánico.com. The character will also give callers a passcode that can be used to collect exclusive digital goods on the series’ website. 

The series, an adaptation of El Rey Network founder Robert Rodriguez’s 1996 cult film From Dusk Till Dawn, was recently renewed for a 13-episode second season. The “Slaves for Santánico” campaign will coincide with the April 29 airing of episode 107, which features Gonzalez reenacting Selma Hayek’s iconic snake dance from the film. The party line initiative will continue through May 21. 

“From Dusk Till Dawn’s iconic characters are the perfect jumping off point for this innovative, multi-platform initiative. The party line and creative campaign activations leverage Santánico Pandemonium’s enormous popularity and invite fans to participate more deeply in the series narrative. The concept is sure to entice new viewers and appeal to the highly coveted demo of men 18-49, including the all-important millennial fan base,” said Chad Blankenship, El Rey Network’s Vice President, Consumer Marketing & Communications, in a release.