Bunim/Murray moves to Latin beat

NATPE: Reality TV pioneer Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) has become the latest US prodco to launch a Latin American division.

BMP Latin will focus on unscripted and scripted programming for Hispanic audiences, targeting the 18-34 demographic across multiple platforms, the Banijay Group subsidiary announced today.

Part of the plan is to adapt BMP formats, which include The Real World, Project Runway and Keeping Up With the Kardashians, as well as those from Banijay, for Spanish-language and bilingual channels in the US. Banijay International will handle international distribution of formats and series created by BMP Latin.

The new division will be headed up by Julio Caro (The Cell, El Cantante), former partner at Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions, and Gabriela Cocco-Sanchez (Juanes 123: POV), former studio chief at Phunware.

BMP Latin’s first TV projects will be a reality show about Latin reggaeton musician Daddy Yankee; and another following the California-based Leonardo Lopez family.

Gil Goldschein, BMP president, said the move was driven by the “exploding” 18- to 34-year-old Hispanic US audience, which will account for one in three Americans by 2050, according to the 2008 Census Report. The US Hispanic population’s annual spending power is also expected to climb from US$1tn to US$1.5tn in the next three years.

Having Caro and Cocco-Sanchez onside “will set BMP Latin apart from others in the space and lays the groundwork for success in this key area of the media landscape,” Goldschein added.

Many other production companies operating in the US, including Endemol, Zodiak Media, Shine and FremantleMedia, have all launched divisions to cater to the Latino market in the US in recent years.

“There is a huge opportunity across all platforms to reach this diverse community, and we plan to do so – from scripted and reality, comedy and drama to web and mobile programming – both in Spanish and English. This is an exciting time,” added Cocco-Sanchez.