In its continued bid to ramp up its programming content, ViX Plus, the upcoming premium SVOD service from TelevisaUnivision, has formed a strategic alliance with Spain’s The Mediapro Studio, which will produce exclusive original content for the new Spanish-language streamer slated to launch in the second half of this year.
First out the gate are scripted series “Las Pelotaris” and the sports-themed docuseries, “La Sangre y la Gloria” (“The Blood and The Glory”).
Welcoming The Mediapro Studio as a crucial partner in its efforts to build “a service that will offer the best content in Spanish for our audience in the United States and Latin America,” Rodrigo Mazón, executive vice president and general manager of ViX Plus, said: “We are very excited to present the first original productions resulting from this strategic alliance and to be able to develop more stories together with the highest of production values.”
Commented Marta Ezpeleta, director of international, The Mediapro Studio: “This alliance represents an important step in the international expansion of the studio and in its consolidation both in Latin America and in the United States, where we already have a solid infrastructure, with our own production facilities and a great team of creators.”
Set in the 1920s, “Las Pelotaris” follows three pioneering women who broke multiple glass ceilings in order to succeed. Created by Marc Cistaré (“Vis a vis,” “El Barco,” “Victim Number 8”), the series will be shot on location in Spain and Mexico under the direction of Jesús Rodrigo (“Vis a vis,” “El Internado,” “I Am Alive”) from a script by Adriana Rivas (“Vis a vis,” “I Am Alive”), Javier Naya (“El Barco,” “Rabia”) and Mexico’s Anaí López (“XY,” “Infamous”).
“The Blood and the Glory” investigates well-known Mexican sports figures and their relationship with the world of crime, either as victims or as protagonists. It is created by Juan Villoro, author of “El Testigo,” the XXII Herralde Novel Prize winner, “Dios es Redondo,” “Balón Divided” and winner of the Manuel Vázquez Montalbán International Prize for Sports Journalism, awarded by FC Barcelona.
Everardo González (“La Libertad del Diablo”) whose award-winning films have played at Berlin, IDFA, Toulouse, Locarno, Montreal, BAFICI, Guadalajara and Morelia, will direct the docuseries.
News of the pact with The Mediapro Studio comes in the wake of the announcement that TelevisaUnivision has agreed to acquire Spanish-language streaming platform Pantaya, in exchange for cash plus certain Puerto Rican radio assets, including WKAQ AM and KQ105 FM, currently owned by TelevisaUnivision.
The addition of Pantaya’s content, subscribers and team further revs up the launch of ViX Plus, which has been closing content deals with a raft of major content players as it aims to offer more than 10,000 hours of content, including more than 50 original series and movies, in its first year.
Among them is a first-look content deal with Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa Productions, and Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell’s 3Pas Studios, producers of the 2018 box office hit “Overboard” and comedy series “Acapulco” for Apple TV Plus. 3Pas has just produced a remake of French comedy “The Valet.”
Similar deals are in place with author Mario Vargas Llosa, Santiago Limón and Propagate’s Ben Silverman. Selena Gomez will also produce an original docu-series for ViX Plus while Mexico’s Lemon Films has agreed to produce four shows for the upcoming service. Furthermore, Colombia’s Dynamo and Mediacrest are rebooting horror series “La Hora Marcada” for the streamer.
Meanwhile, the ad-supported ViX, which launched March 31, offers up to 100 channels and more than 40,000 hours of video-on-demand content that encompasses news, entertainment and sports.