Lionsgate, Univision create SVOD platform

US studio Lionsgate and Hispanic American broadcaster Univision have pooled resources to create a movie-centric subscription-on-demand service.

The currently unnamed service will be aimed at Hispanic US consumers when it launches early next year.

The partners say it will have “a deep line-up of titles”, including Spanish-language box office movies from across the world, and many will be made available on the same day as their theatrical release in Latin America.

Titles from Lionsgate’s joint venture with Mexican broadcaster Televisa, Pantelion Films, Lionsgate’s 16,000-title library dubbed into Spanish, and titles from Univision’s cinema catalogue are also on offer.

Pantelion has rights to more than 70% of the top-grossing Mexican movies of the past five years, including Instructions Not Included, which is the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in US history.

Univision will provide the marketing and distribution assets, offering it as an add-on service to cable and satellite operators, as well as through the Univision NOW subscription platform, which is got its broadcast channels, Univision and UniMas.

Lionsgate already has SVOD services such as Tribeca Shortlist, which a venture with Tribeca Enterprises; Comic-Con HQ; and Laugh Out Loud, a comedy platform will launch in conjunction with Kevin Hart next year.

“Our premium movie service checks all the boxes for success – a world-class partner in Univision, films from the Pantelion brand that has great equity among Spanish-speaking audiences, strong management, terrific intellectual property and a well-defined market opportunity,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer (pictured, above left).

“This new service has all the ingredients to be the leading premium movie channel for Hispanic audiences in the US as well as a great addition to our growing portfolio of SVOD services.”

“Hispanic movie-goers are one of the fastest-growing segments of the entertainment business today, and this platform offers a unique value proposition combining premium content, advanced technology and tremendous accessibility,” said Univision Communications president and CEO Randy Falco (right).