Demian Torres-Bohl, Mexicanal’s general manager
Mexicanal is to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year and is already Working to make it memorable.
“For an independent and minority-owned company like us, this is a great achievement, and we are extremely proud of our team. When we launched Mexicanal in 2005, we were the new kid on the block. Fast-forward 20 years, and we are still going strong. We are relevant and have a strong, loyal viewership. We see it in our ratings every week, and we work hard to keep bringing the TV content made in Mexico that our audience enjoys and wants to see,” commented Demian Torres-Bohl, Mexicanal’s General Manager, and Mauricio Torres-Bohl, Mexicanal’s Production Supervisor.
The executive indicated that Mexicanal is wrapping up the seventh season of its original production, *La Liga Mexicana de Jaripeo* (LMJP), which will include 13 episodes, as in previous seasons.
They are also working on several new shows premiering this year:
– Escaramuzas, is a traditional horse riding competition featuring female riders, which will have 13 episodes. This is entirely new, and the type of content we know how to bring to the audience uniquely and excitingly.
– Por Fin Mexicanal, a weekend magazine featuring showbiz news, social media highlights, and a review of the best content on Mexicanal, as well as previews for the coming week.
PerriToks
– PerriToks, an entertainment show featuring the most popular animals on social media, always with a Mexican flavor.
– Al Ritmo del Son, is a music and dance show featuring “sones,” a regional music style very popular among immigrants from southern Mexico. It will include 13 episodes.
“In addition, we are planning for our 20th anniversary on air with new images and content. It is a huge milestone, and we want it to be really special. For this, we are putting together a walk down memory lane, featuring our current and past talent and shows. It will be very special,” they noted.
The Torres-Bohls point out that the U.S. Hispanic market is very loyal. “For years, it has grown quietly, and now that it has reached critical mass, all eyes are on it. We have served this market for almost 20 years and know it very well. For us, it is not a challenge but a tremendous opportunity. More importantly, any company looking to remain relevant in the next 10 years needs to court and engage with it or risk disappearing,” they emphasized.
They continued by saying it is not enough to offer content in Spanish: “Companies need to go the extra mile and do the work to provide content that Hispanics want to watch—content that speaks to them in the way they talk, whether it be in English, Spanish, Spanglish, and where they see themselves reflected, not in the stereotypes that the industry has perpetuated. U.S. Hispanics want more, not less, and Mexicanal and Castalia work constantly to offer them that,” they stated.
The channel has renewed all its distribution agreements and added new OTT services from Comcast and Charter, NOW and XUMO, respectively. “These new services are currently experiencing great success and are growing steadily month by month. We are working with other distributors on similar options to provide users with new ways to watch and enjoy the TV content they want. Additionally, we are continuing to work with our distribution partners in Canada to enhance Mexicanal’s presence with Bell Canada and to add additional distribution with other providers,” they added.
They emphasized their ongoing relationship with pay-TV distributors, OTT, and streaming services. “We see the continued value of pay TV, and although the industry is changing, there are still many unknowns. We view our relationship as a partnership, so we are not working with any others.”
Among the trends, they mentioned the use of AI. “AI is already making work more efficient and effective. Social media crossover, with content originally showcased there, is making its way into TV content. For us, we also see an opportunity to produce human interest content, including stories behind the sport of Jaripeo. We are bringing the rider to the forefront, as someone with a story to tell beyond the bullring,” they commented.
Castalia: Mexicanal will launch an authenticated app through its affiliates next year
