Telemundo Slates La Voz, Inks Digital Deals with Hulu & More

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises unveiled during its Upfront presentation a programming lineup for the 2018-19 TV season featuring more than 950 hours of new series and multiplatform original content, including the first-ever U.S. Hispanic version of The Voice, as well as digital partnerships with E! and Hulu.

La Voz will be a Spanish-language version of the hit format The Voice, set for Telemundo in 2019. Luis Fonsi of “Despacito” fame will serve as a coach. The Spanish-language adult version follows the success of La Voz Kids, which premiered on Telemundo in 2013. La Voz comes from Telemundo, Talpa Media USA and Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television.

On the digital front, the network presented new digi-social partnerships with E! and Hulu. Telemundo and E! partnered to develop their first-ever total-market weekly entertainment series The Mix (working title). The show will focus on culturally relevant content and address Hispanic passion-points and interests such as news stories in entertainment; interviews with special guest; and highlights of Hispanic talent in fashion, style and beauty. Distributed on linear, digital and social platforms via E! News, Telemundo and Universo, the show will be produced in both English and Spanish from the Telemundo Center and is scheduled to launch in October 2018.

Through an extension of its current deal with Hulu, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises becomes the top provider of Spanish-language content on the premium streaming service, offering up more than 3,000 hours of content. The networks are expanding their partnership by increasing Hulu’s current Telemundo and Universo content offerings to include El Señor de los Cielos, Señora Acero, Alguien Te Mira, La Casa de al Lado, Perro Amor, The Riveras and I Love Jenni.

Additionally, Telemundo will create a first-ever multiplatform, bilingual female empowerment series called Fuerza (working title), featuring stories of multicultural women leading up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019. The 14-week series will showcase special celebrity guests and social influencers and will be distributed across Telemundo Enterprises’ digital and social platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat and its owned and operated sites.

“Our new cutting-edge partnerships expand Telemundo’s dominant position and commitment to the evolving Hispanic market,” said Peter Blacker, the executive VP of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises digital media and emerging business. “We continue to develop content experiences across multiple screens, formats and languages informed by audience insights and predictive data, connecting with young Hispanic consumers better than any other media company in the U.S.”

Telemundo’s 2018-19 slate also features original productions such as the seventh season of El Señor de los Cielos and the premiere of El Recluso. There are also six drama series, including the return of Sin Senos Si Hay Paraiso and Betty in New York, as well as three reality shows. Universo cable channel will bring back series such as Larrymania, The Walking Dead en Español and Sons of Anarchy. Other shows in the lineup are Exatlon and MasterChef Latino, and there will also be live specials such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards, Premios Tu Mundo and The Latin American Music Awards.

In terms of sports programming, Telemundo Deportes revealed its plans for the Women’s World Cup in 2019, including approximately 1,000 hours of live and original news and information programming covering the tournament from France. SportsManias is partnering with Telemundo Deportes to create a World Cup-themed keyboard, providing fans with animated soccer emojis.

“Hispanics are a growing cultural, political and economic powerhouse influencing every aspect of our country,” said Cesar Conde, the chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “This is a young, social and mobile segment that is increasingly setting trends, influencing pop culture and becoming the new mainstream, representing the single-largest growth opportunity for corporate America. Telemundo is the only media company that has kept pace with Hispanics’ changing demands and needs as avid media consumers. Hispanic media consumption is no longer about habit, it’s about choice, and Telemundo is now both the choice and voice of the Latino of today.”

“For marketers, no network can reach the full scope of Hispanic consumers like Telemundo and no company can provide a total market solution like NBCUniversal,” commented Laura Molen, the executive VP for lifestyle and Hispanic advertising sales at NBCUniversal. “We’ve invested in the solutions to help marketers grow their business by messaging to the key Hispanic consumer group, from research and advanced advertising solutions to commercial innovation and digital partnerships. Ultimately, their strategy must start in Spanish-language television with Telemundo’s diverse content offering.”