Cannes, France – Azteca and Cisneros Media Distribution (CMD), two of the world’s most prominent producers of telenovela programming, in partnership with digital content distributor AfricaXP, have launched Romanza+Africa, a new channel targeting English-speaking audiences in the African continent.
Romanza+Africa is home to some of the most successful telenovelas of recent years, offering original programming from both Cisneros Media Distribution’s and Azteca’s vast catalogues. The standalone channel is available through AfricaXP’s multiple digital distribution platforms.
“This unprecedented partnership with Azteca and AfricaXP reinforces our presence in Africa, a market where our proven telenovelas have performed well through the years, amassing a loyal following,” stated Cesar Diaz, Vice President, Cisneros Media Distribution. “Now with the launch of Romanza+Africa, the telenovela genre will be at the forefront of the many audiovisual entertainment options available in the African market. It’s definitely exciting!”
With over 3,000 hours of English-language programming, the channel will commence with Azteca’s dramatic series Catalina and Sebastian and Cisneros Media Distribution’s novela Secret of Love [Secreto de Amor]. Other titles to follow include CMD’s The Woman of My Life [La Mujer de Mi Vida] and Yearning for Your Love [Sueño Con Tu Amor], to name a few.
Marcel Vinay Hill, Vice President of International Sales at Azteca commented: “We are delighted to partner with Cisneros Media Distribution and AfricaXP to deliver high quality programming to viewers in the African continent. Telenovelas have become very popular in the region in recent years and through a dedicated channel such as Romanza+Africa we will give fans instant access to a vast library of great content. We are excited to be a part of this new venture bringing greater entertainment to this growing market.”
In working with its production partners, Azteca and Cisneros Media Distribution, AfricaXP will focus on designing and playing out a channel packaged specifically for the African market and then delivering Romanza+Africa to the continent’s English-speaking countries. Initial focus will be on key markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria but they are also working on opportunities in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Mauritius and the Seychelles. AfricaXP has a long history of delivering high quality content to African broadcasters on satellite and more recently over IP, as the continent’s broadband infrastructure has expanded rapidly in recent years.
“Africa is a unique market as it has over 500 broadcasters in 54 countries, and we have been pioneering distribution solutions in the region for the past 15 years. Our new cloud-based platform uniquely enables us to take our partners’ content, assemble a bespoke channel and then deliver to any African broadcaster quickly and cost effectively,” emphasised Craig Kelly, founder and CEO of AfricaXP. “As multichannel DTT and IPTV platforms roll out rapidly in Africa, there is a growing demand for premium themed channels and a number of our broadcaster clients have expressed interest in a 24/7 telenovela channel. The genre is taking Africa by storm and it is extremely gratifying to be able to respond to market demand by partnering with two of the world’s pre-eminent distributors of top quality telenovelas. I am convinced that Romanza+Africa will be a household name across the continent in the near future.”
