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HISPANIC TV UPFRONT REPORT-2017 EDITION HispanicAd.com/HispanicMarketOverview.com
Hispanic TV Upfront Report Q&A
Alan Sokol, President/CEO, Hemisphere Media Group
Publicly traded Hemisphere Media Group has made its mark in the U.S. Hispanic market with the stateside distribution of WAPA – as pay-TV network WAPA América. But, there is more to the company, and it is also the parent of Cinelatino, Pasiones, Centroamérica TV, TV Dominicana and Colombia’s Canal Uno.
We spoke with Sokol from Hemisphere’s Miami headquarters.
What are the most exciting projects and additions to the suite of Hemisphere-owned networks?
There are a lot of exciting projects in the works for our networks. Cinelatino has been ramping up our original production with 10-15 new original projects a year.
We have plans to launch a new original series, El
Desconocido, based on the life of El Chapo’s right-hand
man El Cholo—the top hitman and lieutenant of the most
powerful drug-trafficking organization in the world. It’s
our first original series, and we’re confident it will be a big
hit, especially among Persons 18-49, who are extremely interested in the narco genre. Plus, it’s a compelling story that no one has ever told before about this elusive and legendary killer.
What's the big play at WAPA América? Are there plans for any new scripted series?
WAPA TV is gearing up to launch a new original comedy show, Such is Life, featuring some of the top actors and comedians from both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. A show like this is unprecedented and will allow us to reach the great Dominican community living in Puerto Rico and the U.S. in a humorous and different way. In 2018, our top priority is to produce one to two high-quality original productions with wide appeal.
How have the Hemisphere networks fit in to the millennial focus seen among many marketers?
We recognize that Hispanics are the youngest major ethnic group in the U.S. and that millennials are harder to reach through traditional media. With this in mind, we very recently invested in REMEZCLA, a leading digital media brand targeting the highly-coveted Latino Millennial audience. We are excited to leverage their expertise and reach to bring a digital-first mindset to Hemisphere and to increase our exposure to this younger, acculturated Hispanic market. We also have plans to develop advertising synergies with our networks that cater to the millennial audience, and leverage REMEZCLA’s production studio to co-develop short- and long-form digital video content that can be used across our channels and OTT platform.