Streaming Service Pantaya Becomes Part Of TelevisaUnivision, Following Completion Of Acquisition

TelevisaUnivision has completed its acquisition of Pantaya, folding the U.S. Spanish-language streamer into its portfolio holdings, the company announced today.

“The strategic acquisition of Pantaya marks an important milestone in our ongoing digital transformation, bringing together highly complementary streaming assets and building upon TelevisaUnivision’s global streaming service, ViX and ViX+,” said Pierluigi Gazzolo, President and Chief Transformation Officer of TelevisaUnivision.

According to Gazzolo, the transaction includes bringing in the service’s content, subscribers and staff on board. By working together, he says TelevisaUnivision will provide “an even greater variety of content, as we accelerate our efforts to redefine the global streaming landscape and solidify ViX and ViX+’s position as the largest Spanish-language streamer in the world.”

TelevisaUnivision announced its plans to acquire Pantaya from the Hemisphere Media GroupHMTV
in May to bolster its own two-tiered global streaming service, launched this year, in its quest to capitalize on the world’s nearly 600 million Spanish-speakers.

Hemisphere’s president and CEO Alan Sokol expressed gratitude “for the tremendous work performed by the Pantaya team, which has made it the leading subscription streaming service for U.S. Hispanics.”

Pantaya, a joint venture between Lionsgate and Hemisphere Media Group, was launched in 2017 as the first full Spanish-language U.S. streaming. Hemisphere, which started out with 25% stake, paid its partner Lionsgate approximately $124 million to get full ownership of the service in 2021. At the time of the deal, the company stated Pantaya “experienced outsized growth,” reaching about 900,000 paying subscribers, projecting that base to grow to close to three million by the end of 2025.

Pantaya started out with limited content options but started producing its own popular originals. It debuted its first scripted series, El Juego de las Llaves, in 2019. It was a hit that led to a two-season pick up. It added other originals to its platform, including this year’s crime thriller La Negociadora, its first produced in Spain, dramedy Mi Tío, as well as two seasons of non-scripted series De Viaje con los Derbez. Pantaya’s beauty pageant thriller Señorita 89, a STARZPLAY co-production, debuted in February.