Hollywood is marketing and creating more and more shows for Hispanic audiences.
Hulu’s East Los High is a hidden gem but, an extremely popular series in Hispanic audiences especially on the West Coast. And the number of shows targeted towards Hispanics is slowly increasing.
Like it or not, Hispanics are going to become the majority of America by 2050. And Hollywood is paying close attention. That’s why Starz Network CEO is creating TV shows directed for Hispanic audiences.
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht announced today at the TCA winter press confrence that they are making changes for Latino viewers and producing shows created by Hispanic creators, writers and producers.
That’s HUGE.
But, what kind of shows are the Starz network creating? It’s a mixture of supernatural thrillers, comedies, and drama. Here is the breakdown of the shows according to THR:
- Maleficio is an hourlong drama that centers around a powerful Mexican businessman who has made a deadly deal with the devil.
- Pour Vida, a half-hour dramedy, centers around the Hernandez sisters who inherit a building in East Los Angeles and attempt to start their own business.
- Santeria is a Sci-fi drama that centers on two undercover agents who investigate a strange murder. The drama is exepected to explore the relationship between Cubans and Santeria, the ancient religion born on the island of Cuba. The series will feature an all star crew including Alejandro Brugues (From Dusk Till Dawn) and Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project, From Dusk Till Dawn) will executive produce and direct with Gregg Hale (The Blair Witch Project) on board as an EP.
This is a smart decision on part of Starz Network. Here’s why, according to a 2014 study by The Wrap, Hispanic audiences go to the movies more often, spend more money at concession stands, and spend more promotional products. In addition, “according to figures from the U.S. Census and a Nielsen report on movie audiences, Hispanics make up 15 percent of the population over the age of 12, and 19 percent of tickets sold for teens and older.”
Starz Network is not alone. Major talent agencies have assembled groups to create a strategy for Hispanic audiences. In fact, Universal and Warner Bros. have hired and promoted marketing executives dedicated to the same market, while major movie studios are creating movies specifically for Spanish-speaking markets. “Hispanics are becoming less of a niche audience and more a part of the mainstream,” Fabian Castro, SVP of multicultural marketing at Universal, told TheWrap.
This type of influence translates into marketing changes in Hollywood. You may not recall Tom Hanks box office flop, Larry Crowne but, Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks popped up at a Hispanic weather report.
This illustrates how important Hollywood thinks it is to tap into the Hispanic market that they are sending their biggest actor to do awkward guest appearances during a random news weather report.
But, what makes Starz Network different and so important is that they are focusing on the Hispanic narrative. Starz executives are hiring Hispanic actors, writers, and directors to create dramas that speak to their family, friends and America’s future majority leaders.
