Miami – The first Telemundo branded pay-TV channel in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa reached its first year on-air, ranking among the top 10 in the region as a result of the efforts between the International divisions of NBCUniversal and Telemundo.
“Since 2006, when Telemundo Internacional began its content distribution in the region with successful telenovelas such as Second Chance, we have made great strides. The Latin American telenovela has garnered a wide acceptance in this multicultural continent,” stated Karina Etchison SVP of Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa. “With titles such as The Return, Maid in Manhattan and The Clone, we expanded into more than 15 territories within the continent. The launch of the Telemundo branded channel by NBCUniversal is one of our latest achievements and we will continue to explore new opportunities to open new markets within Africa and expand into other territories replicating the success attained here.”
The anniversary kicked off with the launch of Broken Angel, which stars Gaby Espino, Carlos Ponce, Aaron Diaz and Ximena Duque alongside a renowned cast.
Telemundo was the fifth channel brand from Universal Networks International to launch in Africa, premiering last year with four telenovelas, namely Aurora, My Heart Beats for Lola – which became Telemundo’s most popular telenovela locally – as well as Behind Closed Doors and Precious Rose. This year, Telemundo brought viewers more of its top-rated telenovelas including Labour of Love, The Queen of the South and Someone’s Watching.
Broadcasting to 48 African countries through DStv Multichoice’s digital pay-TV Satellite platform, with its tag line “Feel the Passion”, Telemundo has captivated African viewers and will continue to do so with its current offer which includes the eerie love story of Elena’s Ghost and the tale of two empowered female bodyguards in Fearless Heart. The last premiere of 2014 will be Missing, which launches in October.
Telemundo is fully localised for the African market with dubbing of Spanish-language programming in English for South African and Sub-Saharan countries, and in Portuguese for Angola and Mozambique.
