Hemisphere boards Hispanic streamer

Hispanic broadcaster Hemisphere Media Group is partnering with Lionsgate on the latter’s planned Spanish-language SVoD service.

Earlier this year, the Mad Men studio announced its intention to create what it called “the first ever Spanish-language SVoD movie service” aimed at the growing, digital-savvy Hispanic audience in the US.

In September, Lionsgate teamed with Univision to boost the venture and now Hemisphere ¬– which has five US channels, two Latin American pay networks and a free network in Puerto Rico – is onboard.

Hemisphere will take a minority stake in the project and bring its library of content to fill the service’s on-demand offering. Lionsgate already has partnerships in place with Univision and Pantelion Films, Lionsgate’s joint venture with Mexico’s Televisa.

“The addition of Hemisphere and its deep library of titles significantly expands the content offerings of a platform that is positioned to become the leading Spanish-language premium movie service in the US,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.

Hemisphere CEO Alan Sokol added that US Hispanics “traditionally over-index on media consumption” and that the new service will “offer an unparalleled collection of world-class movies and a compelling way for Spanish-speaking and bilingual consumers to access it.”

The service is due to launch next year.