New Platform to be Distinguished by Breadth, Quality and
Diversity of Content for Hispanic Audiences in the U.S.
Service Offers Exclusive Streaming Window for Recent
Pantelion Releases
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and
MIAMI, Aug.
1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global content leader Lionsgate
(NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) and Hemisphere Media Group (NASDAQ: HMTV),
which targets the high growth U.S. Hispanic and Latin American
markets with leading broadcast, cable television and digital
content platforms, have launched PANTAYA, the first
Spanish-language over-the-top (OTT) service dedicated to premium
content for the Hispanic community in the U.S., the two companies
announced today.
The service features the largest, most current, and most diverse
selection of Spanish-language blockbusters and critically acclaimed
films from Latin America and
Hollywood, the majority appearing
exclusively on the PANTAYA platform. The service's deep slate
of current and classic films will be complemented by documentaries,
concerts and other original premium content.
"We're proud to launch a Spanish-language streaming movie
service distinguished by its breadth, quality and diversity," said
Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon
Feltheimer. "This platform is the next logical step in
Lionsgate's track record of serving the Hispanic consumer with
high-end premium content through our Pantelion Films venture with
Televisa. By drawing upon the blockbuster films, vast
libraries and world-class programming resources of its partners,
PANTAYA is positioned to become a compelling value proposition for
Spanish-language and bilingual audiences across the country."
"We're thrilled to be partnered with Lionsgate in the launch of
the premier Spanish-language OTT platform that delivers first-run
and bold content," said Hemisphere Chief Executive Officer
Alan Sokol. "PANTAYA is user
friendly, accessible and will provide Hispanic movie lovers in the
U.S. an entirely new way to watch movies and connect with their
cultures."
In addition to exclusive and first run access to all of
Pantelion's Spanish-language releases, PANTAYA will feature monthly
films released "day-and-date" with their debut in Latin American
theatres for the first time. PANTAYA's slate encompasses:
Pantelion's unmatched Spanish-language movie catalogue, including
box office hit No Manches Frida and the blockbuster
Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing
Spanish-language film of all time; contemporary Latin American hits
from Hemisphere's unparalleled catalogue; classic titles featuring
Latino icons, such as Pedro Infante,
Maria Felix and Jorge Negrete; and films from Lionsgate's
16,000-title library dubbed in Spanish, including the classic
Dirty Dancing and the Crank action franchise as well
as the Oscar®-nominated Amores
Perros.
PANTAYA also provides subscribers exclusive monthly first run
access to recent releases such as the animated hit Un Gallo Con
Muchos Huevos, Ladrones starring Fernando Colunga and Eduardo Yañez, and
¿Que Le Dijiste a Dios?, a musical comedy based on
the songs by the late Mexican artist Juan
Gabriel. Other upcoming first run exclusive titles include
the Dominican Republic theatrical
success Domirriqueños and the latest installment of the
Colombian hit franchise El Paseo.
"PANTAYA will be the one-stop-shop for fans of Spanish-language
films to find the best, biggest and newest titles from the
Spanish-speaking world unavailable on other platforms," said
Pantelion Films and PANTAYA Chief Executive Officer Paul Presburger. "With our focus on exclusive
premium content, our knowledge of the Hispanic consumer, and the
breadth of our offering, we are positioned to deliver an OTT
service to Spanish-language and bilingual consumers that is second
to none."
The service's operations will be overseen by Presburger and
Pantelion Chief Operating Officer Edward
Allen.
For only $5.99 per month with a
7-day free trial, PANTAYA is available through the web and on iOS,
Android and the Roku platform in the U.S. and Puerto Rico as well as to Prime members on
Amazon Channels in the U.S. To learn more about PANTAYA, please
visit www.pantaya.com
ABOUT PANTAYA
PANTAYA is the first-ever premium streaming destination for
world-class movies in Spanish offering the largest selection of
current and classic, commercial-free blockbusters and
critically-acclaimed titles from the U.S. and Latin America. PANTAYA features first-run
exclusive and original titles, including instant access to select
movies available on the same day they debut theatrically in
Latin America.
PANTAYA is available through the web and on iOS, Android and the
Roku platform in the U.S. and Puerto
Rico as well as to Prime members on Amazon Channels in the
U.S. PANTAYA is a joint venture between global content leader
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF. B) and Hemisphere Media Group, Inc.
(NASDAQ: HMTV), which targets the high growth U.S. Hispanic and
Latin American markets with leading broadcast, cable television and
digital content platforms. To learn more about PANTAYA, visit
www.pantaya.com.
ABOUT LIONSGATE
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global
content platform whose films, television series, digital products
and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation
audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed
entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing
presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming,
virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies.
Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film
and television library and delivered through a global licensing
infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with
original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special
emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the
Company's worldwide consumer base.
ABOUT HEMISPHERE MEDIA GROUP, INC
Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HMTV) is the only
publicly traded pure-play U.S. media company targeting
the high growth U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets
with leading broadcast and cable television and digital content
platforms. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Hemisphere owns and operates five
leading U.S. Hispanic cable networks, two Latin American
cable networks, and the leading broadcast television network
in Puerto Rico, and has ownership interests in a new broadcast
television network in Colombia and a Spanish-language OTT
service in the U.S. Hemisphere's portfolio consists
of:
- Cinelatino, the leading Spanish-language movie channel with
over 20 million subscribers across the U.S., Latin
America and Canada, including 4.6 million subscribers in
the U.S. and 16 million subscribers in Latin
America, featuring the largest selection of contemporary
Spanish-language blockbusters and critically-acclaimed titles
from Mexico, Latin America, Spain and
the Caribbean.
- WAPA, Puerto Rico's leading
broadcast television network with the highest primetime and full
day ratings in Puerto Rico. Founded in 1954, WAPA produces
approximately 70 hours per week of top-rated news and entertainment
programming.
- WAPA America, the leading cable network targeting Puerto Ricans
and other Caribbean Hispanics living in the U.S., featuring
the highly-rated news and entertainment programming produced by
WAPA. WAPA America is distributed in the U.S. to 5.3
million subscribers.
- Pasiones, dedicated to showcasing the most popular telenovelas
and serialized dramas, distributed in
the U.S. and Latin America. Pasiones has 4.6 million
subscribers in the U.S. and 13.5 million subscribers
in Latin America.
- Centroamerica TV, the leading network targeting Central
Americans living in the U.S., the
third-largest U.S. Hispanic group, featuring the most
popular news, entertainment and soccer programming
from Central America. Centroamerica TV is distributed in
the U.S. to 4.1 million subscribers.
- Television Dominicana, the leading network targeting Dominicans
living in the U.S., featuring the most popular news,
entertainment and baseball programming from the Dominican
Republic. Television Dominicana is distributed in
the U.S. to 3.3 million subscribers.
- Canal Uno, a partnership with leading Colombian content
producers, is one of only three national broadcast television
networks in Colombia. The partnership was awarded a 10-year
renewable broadcast TV concession for Canal Uno
in Colombia in 2016. The concession provides the
partnership with a rare opportunity to access one of Latin America's most robust and stable
economies with an attractive television advertising market. It also
provides Hemisphere the opportunity to produce high quality
content, which can be repurposed on HMTV's channels and syndicated
internationally. The partnership began operating the network
on May 1, 2017.
- PANTAYA, a cross-platform Spanish-language digital subscription
service that is well positioned to be the dominant player in the
Spanish-language digital/OTT space. Launched August 1, 2017, the service will allow audiences
to access many of the best and most current Spanish-language films.
It will include content from Hemisphere's movie library,
Pantelion's U.S. theatrical titles, Lionsgate's movie
library, and theatrical releases in Mexico.
- REMEZCLA, an influential digital media company targeting
English speaking and bilingual U.S. Hispanics aged 18-35
through innovative digital content. Hemisphere's investment is a
complementary extension of its portfolio, broadening the Company's
footprint and its reach with the highly coveted Millennial
audience.
Roku is a registered trademark and Roku TV is a trademark of
Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries.
For more information, please contact:
Cristina Castañeda
Lionsgate
CCastaneda@lionsgate.com
(310) 255-5114
Erica Bartsch
Hemisphere
Sloane & Company
ebartsch@sloanepr.com
(212) 446-1875
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SOURCE Lionsgate