Estrella Media and TV Azteca said they will work together to produce more than 600 hours of Spanish-language programming for the U.S. and Mexico.

Under a two-year agreement, Estrella and TV Azteca have committed to co-produce original content and specials, including Estrellas regional Mexican music awards show Premios de la Radio. The co-produced content will include scripted and unscripted show for broadcast, over the top, ad supported VOD and free ad-supported streaming television channels.

The deal follows Spanish-language giant Univision combining its media operations with Televisa of Mexico. The other big Spanish language market player is Telemundo, which is part of Comcast NBCUniversal.

Also: NewFronts: Estrella Launching AVOD Channel for Gamers

“This agreement brings two unique Spanish-language media companies together to create unparalleled content for Hispanic audiences in the U.S. and Mexico,” said Peter Markham, CEO, Estrella Media. “Providing additional high-quality content is going to enable us to continue to grow our business across our linear and digital platforms and expand opportunities in branded entertainment. Estrella Media reaches an unduplicated audience in the U.S., and through this partnership we will be able to strengthen the content that we deliver to our viewers.”

Also: Estrella Media Get Fubo vMVPD Distribution Deal

TV Azteca, part of Groupo Salinas, is the second largest media company in Mexico behind Televisa. It operates TV networks in Mexico and owns part of the Azteca America network in the U.S.

“TV Azteca has set its goals on the creation of the best content for the audiences, and this partnership with EstrellaTV will allow us to broaden the reach of the best productions to Mexico and the U.S.,” said Benjamín Salinas, VP of the Board of Grupo Salinas. “We believe in joining efforts with key partners, and our alliance with EstrellaTV means a great enhancement to what the public will find on multiple platforms: high-quality productions wherever and whenever they want them.”

Some details about the two companies’ programming plans will be disclosed at Estrella’s NewFront presentation on Thursday, May 5 and its virtual upfront presentation on Monday, May 9. ■

Tubi said it is launching its ad-supported streaming service in Mexico working with TV Azteca, a major producer of Spanish-language programming.

Tubi’s streaming service will be pre-loaded on TV sets made by Hisense in Mexico, where Hisense’s Vidaa platform will be Tubi’s exclusive connected TV partner.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with a world-class partner and, together with TV Azteca, launch a new free streaming home to some of Mexico’s most celebrated television franchises,” said Tubi CEO Farhad Massoudi. “Our expansion into Latin America is just beginning and we look forward to announcing additional territories in the future.”

TV Azteca will handle advertising sales in Mexico and promote Tubi on its broadcast, online and other properties. 

Some of TV Azteca’s most popular shows will be available free to Tubi customer in Mexico.

“As part of TV Azteca’s transformation towards the future, we are looking forward to enhancing our distribution and make the best television productions available to a broader audience via Tubi,” said Alberto Ciurana, chief content & distribution officer for TV Azteca. “We are excited to be part of the construction of a more connected and technological Mexican audience.” 

Hisense will be giving Tubi prominent placement on the Vidaa TV homepage and promote the streaming service in-store and on packaging, including with Elektra stores, which are owned by TV Azteca.

“Providing users with access to the best free content locally in every market and from all over the world is one of the key goals of our platform, and Tubi is a great partner for this,” said Guy Edri, executive VP of business development for Hisense’s Vidaa platform. “The vast library of amazing content, provided by Tubi, is a great addition to our platform and will be a great benefit to consumers in Mexico. They will provide hours of high-quality entertainment in their language to buyers of Hisense TVs and will be completely free, which is a unique proposition not only in Mexico, but also globally.”

Donald Trump for months has been viewed inside the Beltway as engaging political theater, a party “renegade” and a gift to pundits on both sides of the aisle.

But after his Super Tuesday delegate haul — not a sweep, but a strong showing that solidifies his front-runner status — “President Trump” is no longer a laugh line.

Well, almost.

A Washington-based telecommunications lawyer, no fan of the candidate, was still taking the suggestion with a healthy dose of arch humor last week in responding to a request for input on what the telecom policy bent of a Trump administration would be.

Actual Trump Statement: “We’re going to build a great wall on the border with Mexico and the Mexicans will pay for it!”

Translation to Telecommunications Policy: Disband the FCC’s International Bureau and require any licensee with even 1% foreign ownership to leave the country (that means you, Sprint and T-Mobile).

Actual Trump Statement: “We have to stop all Muslims from entering the U.S. until we can figure out what the hell is going on!”

Translation to Telecommunications Policy: Block all Internet traffic originating from Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt, and every other majority Muslim country.

Actual Trump Statement: “I had a lousy earpiece.”

Translation to Telecommunications Policy: Ban NPR.

A President Trump, arguably the first thin-skinned elephant in captivity, might want to ban the media in general. He has called them “horrible” people and said as president he would try to make it easier to apply libel laws to penalize journalistic “hit” pieces.

Despite his media antipathy though, he remains a TV hit: Early Nielsen numbers showed that March 3’s Republican debate on Fox News Channel tallied 16.9 million viewers, making it the highest-rated debate of 2016 and the second-highest-rated telecast in Fox News’s almost 20-year history.

— John Eggerton

Azteca America Brings Its Upfront to Buyers

Last May, executives at Azteca America, like their counterparts at other U.S. Hispanic networks, held an upfront event in New York where they talked up programming plans and partied with ad buyers. Some of the net’s executives even performed in a “Chicago”-style number at the event.

This year, the network, owned by Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca, is ditching the song-and-dance routine for four smaller meetings and parties with clients in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and … New York.

“Rather than waiting for all the clients to come to this hectic week in New York, we decided to take the upfront to them beforehand,” CEO Manuel Abud told The Wire.

But don’t media buyers expect a big production and enjoy the bustle of Hispanic Upfront Week in New York? “Honestly I’m not sure that’s the case,” he said. “If you look at the schedule, there’s a lot of people trying to do that, and we think it’s going to be better for the businesses to take the upfront to them. I guess we’ll see.”

Thus far, he said, buyers seem to like the approach — two days of client meetings with a party at the end, on a smaller scale than last year’s Best Buy Theatre production.

How did last year’s upfront sales do? “OK, not as great as I wanted us to do but we had decent growth,” Abud said — another reason to change things up a bit.

By the time the week of May 16 rolls around, and Univision and MundoMax (who’ve already announced plans) and others are doing their upfronts in New York, Abud and company will have wrapped their gatherings in Los Angeles (March 30), Chicago (April 5), New York (April 13) and Dallas (April 21).

Abud, who joined as CEO in May 2014, said the Azteca America pitch revolves around Mexican soccer and a primetime schedule of a game show at 7 p.m., a reality show at 8, a newsmagazine at 9 and an action series at 10. “It’s working. It’s a good combination, it’s a good alternative.”
— Kent Gibbons