Cannes – TV Azteca and Keshet International (KI) announced a scripted deal to co-develop and produce a new original Spanish-language super series (60 episodes) to air on TV Azteca. It will be developed under the KI banner and co-produced with TV Azteca in house with a view to launching in 2018. Keshet International will distribute the series globally.
The development of the Spanish-language series will be led by Joshua Mintz, Deputy President for TV Azteca and Kelly Wright, VP Distribution and New Business, who will oversee the project on behalf of KI.
TV Azteca is the second-largest mass media company in Mexico. It owns three national television networks, Azteca Trece, Azteca 7 and adn40, and operates another nationally distributed service, a+. TV Azteca also operates Azteca Trece Internacional, reaching 13 countries in Central and South America, and part of the Azteca América network in the United States. Its flagship program is the newscast Hechos. During the last few months, TV Azteca has taken aim at re-inventing its prime-time shows with new narratives and stronger characters in series such as Rosario Tijeras, Nada Personal, and the recently premiered Las Malcriadas.
“Keshet has a reputation for producing scripted series that stand apart from the crowd,” said Joshua Mintz, TV Azteca. “We are genuinely excited about content we are going to create together.”
“As we continue our rapid expansion in Latin America, original development is a top priority,” said Wright. “We have a true ‘meeting of minds’ with TV Azteca since it is known for producing bold, daring series that resonate with audiences across not only Mexico but much of the world – something we strive for every time.”
The news comes during a period of tremendous growth for KI in Latin America having launched its production company Keshet MX earlier this year. KI is also co-developing a Spanish-language super series with Telemundo for the US Hispanic audience and has a four series output deal with Televisa in Mexico (where Loaded has been remade as MINTand Easy Money as Mita Y Mita). It has also forged non-scripted co-development deals with Telefe in Argentina and MEGA in Chile to create a new entertainment series. Earlier this year, KI announced licensing deals with Globo Brazil, the country’s largest television network, for KI’s new social experiment format Boxed, and with Teledoce (La Tele), Uruguay’s leading free-to-air channel, for KI’s children’s music talent show Master Class. The global hit game show BOOM!, produced by Keshet MX will launch on Caracol, Colombia’s number one network, next month.
