News Corp-owned media company Fox International Channels and South American television network and production company RCN Television Group have formed a joint venture to launch MundoFox, a sports and entertainment channel for the Hispanic market in the United States. The channel will launch later this year and will challenge the two dominant Spanish-language networks Univision and Telemundo.
Fox’s Spanish-language sports pay-television channel Fox Deportes will be a source of programming for MundoFox. Fox Deportes has exclusive US Spanish-language rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series and football tournaments including South America’s Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.
MundoFox will also show drama series and news programmes.
Fox International Channels president and chief executive Hernan Lopez said the channel would meet an increasing demand from viewers and advertisers for Spanish-language television content.
“Fox saw similar dynamics in play 25 years ago when it launched the Fox network, and it would be a missed opportunity not to provide an alternative for the 50 million-plus Latino viewers who currently have limited options in Spanish-language broadcast television,” Lopez said.