Univision pairs with Rodriguez on El Rey network

[May 15, 2013]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Univision Communications said Tuesday that it is pairing with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez on the English-language El Rey television network that is geared to young viewers and scheduled to debut this December.

Rodriguez is a filmmaker whose projects include "From Dusk Till Dawn." The first scripted series for El Rey will be an expansion of that movie, with the extra time allowing him to expand the story and explore richer Aztec mythology, he said.

The company that runs Univision, the most-popular Spanish-language network in the country, said Tuesday it has invested in El Rey. Terms were not disclosed. It is set to begin in December with a national distribution agreement with Comcast, the nation's largest cable company.

The network is expected to have a mix of reality, scripted, music and sports programming, along with movies.

"El Rey Network will serve as a launching pad to satisfy the tastes of young adults looking for exciting, cinematic, action-packed content," Rodriguez said.

Univision has expanded over the past two years, creating several new networks. One partnership with ABC is called Fusion, an English-language news network geared toward a Latino audience.

The Univision network said it will premiere two new telenovelas during the next season. "La Tempestad" will star William Levy and Ximena Navarrete, a former Miss Universe. "Mentir para Vivir" will star David Zepeda and Mayrin Vilanueva.

Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications Inc., told advertisers Tuesday that the company is at the intersection of two big growth opportunities: the Latino market and digital.

[Associated Press]

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