Univision Invests in El Rey Network

NEW YORK: Univision Communications has entered into a strategic partnership with El Rey Network, an English-language general-entertainment cable channel from filmmaker Robert Rodriguez that is geared toward young adults.

The network is set to launch in December. It will have distribution across the U.S., with an initial carriage deal in place with Comcast. El Rey Network was created by Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures. It will air a mix of reality, scripted and animated series, as well as movies, music and sports programming. Univision Communications will be responsible for the back-office operations, sales and distribution for the network.

At Univision’s upfront presentation, the first original scripted production was unveiled. It is based on the hit action/horror franchise from Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, From Dusk Till Dawn. Rodriguez will be serving as writer, producer and director on the project, which will explore and expand on the characters and story from the original film.

Rodriguez also announced that K/O Paper Products will be producing a scripted action-adventure series for the network. K/O founders Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are the writers and producers on such hit blockbuster movies as Star Trek, Transformers and Sleepy Hollow. Their TV credits include Fringe and Hawaii Five-0.

“Our partnership in El Rey Network is a testament to Univision’s culture of innovation, the power of our brand to live in both languages, and our constant quest to ensure we remain the ultimate resource for all Hispanics’ tastes and preferences. As we continue to grow, evolve and expand into new frontiers, Univision remains the one and only gateway to U.S. Hispanic audiences,” said Randy Falco, the president and CEO of Univision Communications. “We are pleased to partner with Robert, FactoryMade and the teams at El Rey Network to launch a new network to serve one of the most influential, rapidly growing audiences in America—young Hispanics. Today at our upfront, we spoke about Univision’s unparalleled brand connection and showcased our world-class content offerings across our multiplatform portfolio, as well as our firm commitment to providing Latinos with the best in-culture programming available.” 
 
“I’m thrilled to be partnering with Univision on this groundbreaking initiative to deliver high-quality original programming to our community and the wider, mainstream audiences,” added Rodriguez. “El Rey Network will serve as a launching pad to satisfy the tastes of young adults looking for exciting, cinematic, action-packed content. As a broadcast leader in media, Univision is the best partner to support us in achieving this vision.”
 
FactoryMade CEO John Fogelman and co-CEO Cristina Patwa added: “Univision’s investment in the network is a ringing endorsement of the strength of El Rey Network’s strategy and its potential not just through television, but also through social and mobile platforms. El Rey will offer a slate of visionary talent, adventurous stories and iconic characters that will entertain, engage and relate to younger audiences.”

“Robert, Alex and Roberto exemplify the types of show creators that will ultimately set El Rey Network apart. We are honored to pave the way for their unprecedented debut into cable,” said the network’s vice chairman, Scott Sassa.