Univision has acquired Vix, an independent ad-supported streaming service, ahead of the planned launch for its own AVOD service, PrendeTV.
Vix operates a Spanish-language streaming platform serving Latin American and U.S. Hispanic audiences and includes a content library of 20,000 hours of film and TV programming. The service will be integrated into PrendeTV in the U.S., which Univision said will bring immediate scale through distribution on mobile and connected TV platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
On a combined basis, PrendeTV and Vix will have more 30,000 hours of content. Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed.
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“Vix is the next key step towards Univision’s goal of building the most comprehensive ad-supported streaming offering ever amassed for Latino audiences,” said Pierluigi Gazzolo, president of Univision and chief transformation officer, in a statement. “Vix’s team, content library and distribution capabilities throughout the Americas immediately positions PrendeTV to lead in free, premium Spanish-language video streaming for U.S. Hispanics and gives our advertising partners a new way to reach audiences at scale through a platform specifically designed for Hispanic consumers.”
Vix CEO Rafael Urbina will join Univision as general manager and executive vice president of AVOD streaming and report to Sameer Deen, Univision’s chief digital officer.
Univision also announced that it has joined Project OAR, the consortium of media companies working on common technology for addressable advertising management for TV. Univision will sit on the Steering Committee along with fellow members including AMC Networks, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Disney, Discovery, Comcast's FreeWheel, Fox, Hearst Television, E.W. Scripps, WarnerMedia, ViacomCBS, Xandr and Vizio.
“As we continue to evolve the company under new leadership, Univision is proud to join Project OAR and to work with such preeminent media companies to meet the needs of brand partners in a changing media landscape,” said Donna Speciale, president of advertising sales and marketing for Univision, in a statement. “Together as an industry, we are helping to advance addressable TV advertising, deliver relevant experiences for all consumer audiences and present new advertising opportunities for marketers.”