Univision Ramping Up Its Comedy Output

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NEW YORK: Comedy is at the forefront of Univision Communication Inc.’s (UCI) strategy to reach younger audiences, with a new slate of sitcoms and shows planned for the 2016-17 season.

UCI is expected to double down on its comedy offerings through its controlling investment in The Onion satirical brand and an agreement with ABC to become the sole owner of Fusion. Upcoming sitcoms include 40y20, in which a 40-year-old divorcee and his 20-year-old son live together like bachelors, and the superpower-themed series Super X. Both of those series will debut on Univision.

Other comedy titles in the pipeline are the sketch show EnchufeTV for Galavisión; web series such as Hollynovelas on the Udisea digital platform; and The Chris Gethard Show, a prime-time talk show slated for Fusion. That network will also host The A.V. Club, a weekly show inspired by The Onion’s popular entertainment site.

Drama will also play a key role in UCI’s future slate, with the company working with Televisa to create shorter, crisper stories on Univision and fast-paced action and real-life stories on UniMás. This partnership will include Univision titles such as Women in Black (Mujeres De Negro), about a group of friends who conspire to kill their husbands; The Three Sides of Ana (Tres Veces Ana), a story of sibling rivalry; and The Candidate (La Candidata), which follows a female politician who returns to run for president after being presumed dead. Meanwhile, UniMás will debut international titles such as Mediaset’s The Prince (El Príncipe), Caracol Internacional’s The Voice of Freedom (La Ronca de Oro), and Sony Pictures Television’s Search Squad (Bloque de Búsqueda).

On the sports side, Univision Deportes will deliver coverage of Mexico’s Liga MX through Sábado Fútbolero and a multi-night celebration dedicated to the soccer league. Univision Deportes will also hold the rights to the 2016 Copa América Centenario and the 2017 Gold Cup. Additionally, it plans to release a series of sports documentaries, including La Otra Mirada, in which Hispanic America’s most popular stars tell the stories behind their favorite sports moments.

Finally, UCI’s music strategy will have as its centerpieces the biopic Her Real Name Was Dolores (Su Verdadero Nombre Era Dolores), about the iconic Mexican singer Jenni Rivera, and Song of a Woman (Canción de Mujer), an original multimedia talent competition that lets viewers at home discover the next great female singer in the Regional Mexican music genre. In addition, UCI is gearing up for the second season of music competition The Band (La Banda), which will expand to include female participants.

“Univision is evolving to be a media company of the future, with more catered programming and advanced offerings that better position us to reach a rapidly evolving consumer marketplace,” commented Randy Falco, the president and CEO of Univision Communications. “The strength of our relationship with U.S. Hispanics has allowed us to expand our capabilities to account for more than language. Now, we not only serve one of the biggest growth populations in America, but also the nation’s next generation of growth consumers: the diverse American youth. Young Americans will undoubtedly be the future driving force in our economy and UCI is taking the lead and readying our content options to engage these consumers like no one else. Simply put, we are taking steps to ensure UCI continues to be a powerful, innovative partner for marketers.”

“Univision’s relationship with the consumers we serve is unparalleled and as a result, when you partner with us, there’s a recognized halo effect that drives awareness, consideration and ultimately purchase decisions,” said Keith Turner, the president of advertising sales and marketing for Univision Communications. “We’ve been delivering results for more than five decades and we will continue to do just that by innovating to help our partners successfully reach and engage new consumers. By growing our digital video capacity and streamlining across content verticals, we are bringing to life a new, additive ecosystem for our marketers to reach the new rising American mainstream. We are in business to create growth opportunities for our marketing and agency partners and we are confident that, with our catered programming, world-class content and ability to reach tens of millions of consumers monthly, we can do just that, together.”