UVideos to launch with Xbox 360.

Univision Communications announced that it will launch UVideos, a new digital network of the best in Hispanic programming, as an application on Xbox 360 Live Gold in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The UVideos application will allow audiences to discover, interact and watch the best programming from Univision’s growing portfolio of television networks. Authenticated users will have even more access to thousands of hours of content across multiple genres, from telenovelas and music, to sports and movies. UVideos also features social discovery, allowing users to see what their friends are watching or follow their favorite Univision personalities, and Univision’s synched social stream, to stay connected to the pulse of Hispanic America– all in Spanish and English.
 
“Our audience heavily over indexes in the use of digital devices and UVideos will provide a fully integrated, immersive and community-based viewing experience never seen before. Before UVideos, this tech-savvy target was largely underserved as an audience when it came to content and programming. We applaud Microsoft for their efforts in helping meet this demand,” said Renee Plato, senior vice president of Digital Distribution, Univision Communications. “As the leaders in serving Hispanic America, and as part of our strategy to offer a Univision branded content experience everywhere, we are thrilled to broaden and strengthen the viewing and social experiences for our community through Xbox LIVE.”
 
“We are excited about the opportunity to bring Univision to the Xbox LIVE service,” said Ross Honey, general manager of Xbox LIVE Entertainment and Advertising, Microsoft Corp. “Our partnership with Univision marks a significant milestone in our mission to make the entertainment people love more amazing on Xbox.”

UVideos will be optimized for the Xbox 360 console, taking advantage of Kinect to give viewers an immersive experience. The UVideos app on Xbox LIVE will include short- and long-form programming and catch-up video on demand. Viewers will be able to discover content and consume it in standard and high definition formats (where available).

Among other features are:
 
·         Spanish- and English-language user interface;
 
·         Spanish- and English-language captioning for top programming;
 
·         Social discovery through features such as “See what my friends like” and “Social Pulse,” which will highlight the hottest videos online; and
 
·         User engagement with UVideos through a social stream that will be synched to video.
 
Research shows that Hispanics are major users of digital services:
 
·         66% of Hispanics own a smartphone vs. 49% of Non-Hispanics (Nielsen Mobile Media Marketplace, Q1 2012, U.S.; Population U.S. A13+; unknown excluded)
 
·         36% of Hispanics own/play an Xbox vs. 28% of Non-Hispanics, and 45% of Hispanics play Xbox Live connected to the Internet vs. 35% of Non-Hispanics (Simmons NCS/NHCS Fall 2011 Full Year, Population A18+)