Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) is making another investment in Latin America by taking a majority stake in Brazilian comedy production outfit Porta dos Fundos.

Pierluigi Gazzolo

Porta dos Fundos was founded by Antonio Tabet, Fabio Porchat, João Vicente de Castro, Ian Fernandes and Gregorio Duvivier in 2012 and is known for shortform comedy sketches.

Its YouTube channel claims more than 13 million subscribers, while its TV shows include The Great Gonzalez, which aired on pay network Fox Brasil.

Porta dos Fundos was recently commissioned ^[1] by HBO Latin America to produce a Brazilian version of US chatshow format Last Week Tonight.

Pierluigi Gazzolo, president of VIMN Americas, said: “As we continue to build scale in the Latin American region, our investment in Porta dos Fundos furthers our commitment to the Brazilian market and increases our ability to create innovative content, often native to digital platforms, which will complement our existing Viacom brands and capabilities.”

Tereza Gonzalez, CEO of Porta dos Fundos, added: “The venture is a big step for the group towards expanding into the international market, with new global opportunities for our portfolio both online and offline. Additionally, the deal provides exceptional distribution channels for our content.”

Viacom bought ^[2] Argentina’s Telefe for US$345 from Spanish telco Telefónica in November and has since overhauled ^[3] its management structure, with director of global content Tomás Yankelevich leaving the company.