Televisa Announces Plans To Set Up LA Hub

From C21Media:

Televisa sets up LA hub

Mexican broadcast and production giant Televisa is set to open a Los Angeles production hub to bring Latin American telenovelas into the US, according to a report.

Televisa USA will launch this week as Televisa's largest move yet into the English-language market, the Financial Times reported yesterday.

The broadcaster is one of the world’s leading Spanish-language producers with global format hits such as Ugly Betty, which has been remade in territories such as the US and China.

Paul Presburger will lead Televisa USA while continuing as CEO of Televisa-Lionsgate joint venture Pantelion Films. Former HBO VP of drama series Michael Garcia (Six Feet Under, The Wire) will be chief creative officer.

The prodco will have “multiple broadcast network deals” from the outset, including the Lionsgate JV to create content for the US market; and will seek to adapt its popular Latin novelas into English-language titles.

Among these is Devious Maids, the ABC Studios-coproduced drama from Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry that was recently picked up by cablenet Lifetime. It is also onboard Hollywood Heights, Nickelodeon's remake of Televisa format Alcanzar una Estrella.

Televisa secured a US$1.2bn agreement with US Hispanic network Univision 19 months ago, giving Televisa a 5% equity stake in the firm and extending their production and distribution agreement until 2025.

However, Televisa USA is separate to this, according to Televisa executives cited by the FT report.

In May, Televisa partnered with Spanish producer Globomedia to create a JV prodco targeting the Spanish market. This was born out of Televisa's investment in Imagina Media Audiovisual.

Televisa couldn’t be reached for comment this morning due to time differences.

Jesse Whittock
02-07-2012
©C21Media

GENRES: Drama, Format

SHOWS: Alcanzar Una Estrella, Devious Maids, Hollywood Heights

PEOPLE: Michael Garcia, Paul Presburger

COMPANIES: ABC Studios, HBO, Imagina Media Audiovisual, Lionsgate, Pantelion Films, Televisa, Televisa USA, Univision

SECTIONS: C21Drama, Formats Lab

COUNTRIES: Mexico, Spain, US