Comcast is launching a new streaming division aimed at incorporating more Spanish-language content into its Peacock streaming service.
The division, called NBC Universal Telemundo Hispanic Streaming, will develop nearly five dozen projects for Peacock and other digital platforms operated by NBC and Telemundo, the company said in a press release on Tuesday.
As part of the initiative, Comcast has promoted former Telemundo executive Romina Rosado to serve as the key executive in charge of streaming initiatives at the newly-formed division.
“The NBCUniversal Telemundo Hispanic Streaming division immediately unifies and amplifies our unmatched resources and reach to our audience across the company, accelerating our presence on Peacock and the entire NBCU streaming portfolio,” Beau Ferrari, the executive in charge of NBC Universal Telemundo Enterprises, said in a statement. “Romina is an experienced media executive with a clear vision and knowledge for developing relevant content for the Latino and general market that will serve our company-wide approach to programming for the Hispanic streaming audience.”
The announcement comes as Comcast’s chief rival in the Spanish broadcast space, Univision, makes moves of its own to increase the amount of streaming content output across its own digital properties. Univision intends to re-launch its streaming television service, Prende TV, with added content from its recent asset merger with Televisa; the service is expected to offer both free and premium tiers similar to Peacock.
While Univision’s plans have been public knowledge for several months, Comcast still believes it has a leg up on the competition thanks to its ownership of Telemundo.
“NBCUniversal, powered by Telemundo, is the only media company that can connect at scale on every screen with these ‘200 percenters,'” Rosado said in a statement, referring to individuals who identify themselves as “100 percent Latino and 100 percent American.”
“I look forward to partnering with Peacock and creators across the industry to tell stories that connect and represent this dynamic and vibrant community,” she said.
Comcast’s streaming service Peacock already offers some Spanish-language content from Telemundo, though it is largely relegated to news programming from its broadcast network. As part of the new initiative, the company is expected to broaden its Spanish-language content into general entertainment, lifestyle and sports.
