TelevisaUnivision’s Vix+ eyes global partners as originals drive expands

La Mujer Del Diablo

Spanish-language streamer Vix+ is looking for international partners as it expands its originals output, with the TelevisaUnivision-owned service’s newly appointed CEO talking up his company’s potential as a coproducer.

Vix was rolled out in the US, Mexico and most of Latin America last year following the $4.8bn merger between Televisa and Univision, with the service aiming to become the dominant Spanish-language streamer globally.

It launched with both AVOD and SVOD (Vix+) options, offering library shows and originals such as Mujeres Asesinas, La Mujer Del Diablo and Maria Felix, with 70 series now in the works or on air.

Pierluigi Gazzolo

Former Univision exec Pierluigi Gazzolo, who was recently upped from president & chief transformation officer to become CEO at Vix, told delegates here at Content Americas in Miami that the originals drive would continue, adding that the streamer’s footprint meant IP could be shared with other oeprators.

“One of the beauties about working with Vix+ on originals is that we do not have to take global rights, our goal is to have shows by Spanish speakers, for Spanish speakers,” he said.

Gazzolo said Vix+ could “share ownership and costs”, while admitting that coproductions could play a part in the strategy to expand its originals slate while being “careful” with spending.

“The market is looking at the bottom line but we need to keep growing too. Vix+ was only born five-and-a-half-months ago so it is just a baby and it needs feeding.”

Gazzolo said that seriales – shows with “the melodrama of a telenovela but with the addition of another element, for example a thriller, on top – were working well both regionally and further afield, while unscripted was also being sought.

“The Lat Am market is very cost effective, the cost to quality ratio is unbelievable,” he added. “We have Hollywood quality but not Hollywood cost and that will help us with the trajectory. But we are being selective and we have to find more efficiencies, but there are many wants to do it, from partnerships to making the most of tax incentives in countries like Colombia.”

TelevisaUnivision has been bullish in its expansion plans for Vix, with numerous producer-director deals struck, while a two-year first-look pact with Salma Hayek Pinault’s Ventanarosa Productions was stgruck last year that handed the streamer exclusive Spanish-language feature films.

The company has previously struck first-look deals with Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell’s 3Pas Studios and Maria Dueñas, as well as an original docuseries produced by Selena Gomez. It also has deals with Mario Vargas Llosa, Santiago Limón and Propagate’s Ben Silverman.

A multi-title deal was also struck with Spain’s Mediapro Studio providing shows such as crime drama Las Pelotaris, while originals on the slate include Texas-based true crime doc Mi Vecino El Cartel (The Cartel Among Us), which is from July Moon Productions and Blackfin, with Selena Gomez attached as exec producer.

Other shows include Nautilus, from Dynamo and Mediacrest, which explores the true story of a policewoman investigating a group of criminals who travel across the Atlantic on a submarine. It’s written by Clayton Trussell (Narcos).