Keshet International (KI) has opened a new subsidiary in Mexico City, as it seeks to expand its local production capabilities for the Latin American and US Hispanic markets. The new production company cements KI’s commitment to the Latin American and US Hispanic markets, enabling it to build on existing development and production deals by adding new partnerships with broadcasters, networks and brands as well as integrating local talent and introducing more of KI’s unique brand of programming across the region.
The Keshet MX location has been chosen for its central position between the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Americas and will produce across the region from the US Hispanic market to Colombia, as well as offering development and consulting services throughout the Latin American region.
KI Head of Latin America, Kelly Wright will direct the new division, reporting to KI COO & President of Distribution, Keren Shahar, while Frank Scheuermann, Head of Development and Production Latin America, will lead the team on the ground. Frank joined KI last Spring, tasked with developing original IP and ideas for promising new formats, identifying titles from KI’s ever-growing catalogue to adapt for Latin American audiences, as well as nurturing new and existing relationships with local buyers, sponsorship partners and talent.
Keshet MX is actively hiring for its Development and Business Affairs divisions and will announce new production deals in the coming months. Latin America is a major market for KI. To date it has sold close to 1000 hours of content across the region and has seen many successful adaptations of its formats on air, including several versions of the trailblazing talent format Rising Star and the explosive game show format BOOM!. KI has an output deal with the leading broadcaster Televisa in Mexico for four of its scripted formats, the first, Loaded, is already in production and another is soon to be announced.
It also has a non-scripted co-development agreement with Telefe in Argentina, a scripted co-development agreement with Telemundo – the #1 Spanish-language television network in the US, and is soon to announce a similar venture with another major South American broadcaster. KI also recently partnered with South America’s largest retailer, Grupo Éxito, to produce a series of live shorts of its interactive multi-platform game Touch, which aired on Colombia’s leading channel Caracol.
