FremantleMedia Seeks Music Gold with La Banda

Adrian Santucho, the CEO of FremantleMedia Mexico, U.S. Hispanic and pan-regional, talks with TV Formats about the international ambitions of La Banda.

The boy-band craze got a shot of Latin rhythm last year with the introduction of La Banda, a musical competition from a man who knows a thing or two about the genre, Simon Cowell, producing under his Syco Entertainment banner.

The show premiered on U.S. Hispanic network Univision, with a second run due out on the channel this fall. In the wait between seasons, though, distributor FremantleMedia has been looking to export the format beyond Spanish-speaking audiences, as it “has generated a striking amount of ***Image***interest from international buyers,” according to Adrian Santucho, the CEO of FremantleMedia Mexico, U.S. Hispanic and pan-regional.

Santucho states that the show’s biggest appeal is how it veers away from typical judge-heavy formats, giving fans direct access to all the elimination rounds.

“We’re looking for new music idols, a band made up of singers from around Latin America, but the premise itself isn’t that important,” he says. “What really stands out is how we’re finding these talented youngsters. From the first day of production, the fans will have direct access to the [contestants]. They’ll be able to use social media to follow them around, get to know them, and then make a decision as to who stays and who goes.”

Star power also helps: besides the bonus of having Cowell’s name attached to the project, the show’s first season boasted pop star Ricky Martin as an executive producer and talent judge.

“Because we’re doing something different, this is the kind of production that attracts big names in show business,” Santucho says.

Another key selling point is the show’s flexibility. Though the first season sought to find the next all-boy band, the show’s sophomore outing is mixing things up by auditioning both male and female performers.

“This is an innovative, flexible format, where the fans feel like they have a say in the outcome no matter who’s singing on the stage,” Santucho says.

He adds that the format has so far piqued interest in Europe and Australia, with deals in other territories currently in the works.

“Obviously, there’s also interest in Latin America, where we’re looking to develop a daily version,” Santucho says. “We know places such as Chile, Colombia and Peru work better with daily formats, so the local teams will do everything they can to develop options that will work for any network requirement.”