In the Spanish language, “humo” means smoke.
But, there’s definitely no smoke and mirrors behind a new effort from NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises that gives a breath of fresh air — and life — to parent Comcast’s free ad-supported streaming TV service.
A trio of new curated channels have landed on XUMO, which like rival Pluto TV seeks to attract viewers in a “AVOD” environment with advertiser-supported video on demand that extends network programming while providing viewers with unique content not seen elsewhere.
The long-term partnership between Comcast cousins places 3,000 hours of Telemundo’s scripted shows and reality programming on XUMO, along with the rebooted Telemundo Al Día morning show.
Specifically, Telemundo Al Día will have a dedicated channel on XUMO, as will “Telemundo Realities” and “Telemundo Novelas.” The realities include English-language program “The Riveras,” born out of “I Love Jenni,” featuring the late Mexican-American recording artist Jenni Rivera.
“Today marks the beginning of a valuable, ongoing partnership that will bring the very best curated programming to our growing U.S. Hispanic audience,” Stefan Van Engen, SVP of programming and partnerships at XUMO, said.
Peter Blacker, EVP of Chief Commercial Officer and Head of DTC Licensing at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, added, “As Latinos continue to drive non-linear video consumption across the U.S., we are thrilled to partner with XUMO to expand our multiplatform approach to feed the streaming appetite of this young, vibrant and multilingual demographic. This strategic partnership offers Telemundo Enterprises an opportunity to connect further with incremental audiences in Spanish and English and strengthen our position as the choice and voice of the U.S. Hispanic community.”
