TelevisaUnivision’s ViX+ inks exclusive first-look deal with Propagate Fuego

ViX+, the upcoming SVoD service from Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision, has agreed a first-look deal with Propagate’s Spanish-language division, Propagate Fuego.

Ben Silverman

Under the deal, Propagate Fuego will produce Spanish-language scripted and unscripted content for ViX+, which is set to launch in the second half of this year.

The agreement gives TelevisaUnivision exclusive first-look rights to all content developed by Propagate Fuego. It also includes a development fund for options, writers, formats and scripts.

Propagate chairman and co-CEO Ben Silverman will serve as executive producer on all projects developed and produced under the deal.

This marks the first partnership for Propagate Fuego, a division of A+E Networks-backed Propagate, which was first unveiled in January. Propagate Fuego is led by Silverman and president of global productions Isabel San Vargas, who was recently promoted to equity partner in the company.

Propagate International VP Catalina Ramirez, president of worldwide scripted content Rodney Ferrell and president Cyrus Farrokh will also be involved in the division.

“We believe ViX+ will be a game-changer for the Spanish-language market and we are thrilled to join the ViX+ team as they launch this exciting new venture,” said Silverman.

The companies are already collaborating on a young-adult series, Pinches Momias, which was set in motion prior to the signing of the first-look deal. The show, set to shoot this summer, follows a group of troubled teenagers from Guanajuato, Mexico, who become their town’s only hope of survival when its famous mummies come back from the dead during the busiest week of the year.

Produced by Propagate Fuego and Perro Azul, Pinches Momias has been created by Santiago Limón and Jose Miguel Nuñez, with Limón serving as director and showrunner. The executive producers are Silverman, Owens and Ferrell, who was promoted to president of worldwide scripted content last month.

TelevisaUnivision officially formed in late January after Univision and Televisa completed their US$4.8bn merger. Under terms of the deal, which was first unveiled last April, US Hispanic broadcaster Univision bought the content and media assets of Mexican media company Televisa.

Since the deal officially closed, the merged company has wasted no time in unveiling its highly anticipated streaming offering, ViX. The platform will consist of both an AVoD tier (ViX) and an SVoD tier (ViX+). Propagate Fuego’s content will be produced exclusively for the latter.

The AVoD product is set to launch on March 31 and will debut with more than 40,000 hours of content and 100 curated channels. The SVoD component will launch in the second half of the year (an official date has not yet been set), with the service planning to premiere more than 50 ViX+ originals in its first year.

As it prepares to dive full force into the streaming space, Miami-headquartered TelevisaUnivision has been lining up development and production deals with the likes of Fox Entertainment’s MarVista Entertainment. TelevisaUnivision has also recently inked first-look deals with Mexican star Eugenio Derbez’s 3Pas Studios and Mexican-American star Salma Hayek Pinault’s Ventanarosa Productions.

ViX+’s roster of upcoming originals includes true crime doc Mi Vecino El Cartel, exec produced by Selena Gomez; La Hora Marcada, a rebooted version of anthology series La Hora Marcada; and drama Las Pelotaris, produced through a multi-title deal with Spanish prodco The Mediapro Studio.