Paving the way for its worldwide television debut in the first quarter of 2012, Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and Jamie King, announced Wednesday the first three of 21 broadcast network deals with Univision in the U.S., Televisa in Mexico, and Caracol TV in Colombia for ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen. Other broadcast partners will be announced soon.
¡Q’Viva! The Chosen, which is currently being filmed in English, Spanish and Portuguese, will air simultaneously in 21 countries on the most important networks throughout the Americas.
As part of the landmark agreements, Univision, one of the top five networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the only broadcaster to grow in the 2010-2011 season, has signed on to air ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen in one-hour weekly episodes in Spanish.
“Univision is known as the home for Hispanic America, which is why we are thrilled to bring ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen to our audiences in the U.S.,” said Ronald Day, Senior Vice President of Programming for Univision Networks. “This acquisition builds on our legacy of engaging our audiences with the best entertainment available in the industry and further demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Televisa.”
In Mexico, XIX production and distribution partner Endemol has locked in Televisa, the largest media company in the Spanish-speaking world, to air ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen. Televisa will air weekly 1-hour episodes of the show via its flagship network Canal de las Estrellas, which has 258 affiliates across the country.
For the Colombia market, XIX and Endemol have secured Caracol TV, one of the leading networks in Colombia, which has been the leader in tune-in market share and daily ratings since it began operations as a private network in 1998.
Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and Jamie King are proud to announce that they are shooting ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen from October 2011 to January 2012, and traveling throughout Latin America to meet the most outstanding Latin singers, dancers, musicians, and performers that they have discovered via their personal networks, grassroots efforts, and an unprecedented social media campaign on YouTube and Facebook. The groundbreaking series will document their extraordinary transcontinental road trip to bring viewers the drama and intense emotions of the incredible stories and personal journeys that they will uncover.
“Very soon the world’s heart will beat to the tune of Latin rhythms and we’re looking forward to experiencing history in the making,” said Jennifer Lopez. “It is with great pride that we embark on this amazing and very personal mission to discover and celebrate the most captivating talent the world has ever seen.”
Marc Anthony added: “I am thrilled to have these partners on board as I head to the region and excitement for ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen continues to grow. These alliances will ensure that the beauty of Latin music, artistry, and dance is seen by millions and will open doors for the next generation of Latin superstars.”
The international talent search for ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen is well underway. Since June 1st the public has been nominating their country’s best singers, dancers, musicians, and performers on Facebook (facebook.com/qvivathechosen), and talented people across the Americas have been uploading their video auditions on YouTube (youtube.com/qviva). Nominations and submissions are being meticulously reviewed each week leading up to Marc and Jennifer’s visits to the various countries.
