Fox Hispanic Media unveils Latino Entertainment at Upfront.

Fox Hispanic Media (FHM) unveiled original programming and an array of exciting developments during an Upfront event this afternoon at the famed New York Public Library.

The event included presentations from top executives at FHM’s three Spanish-language networks; FOX Deportes, the leading Hispanic sports network; recently-launched Utilísima, a women’s lifestyle network; and Nat Geo Mundo, a non-fiction entertainment network that will officially launch on July 1st. On hand to celebrate this exciting group of networks were celebrity chefs Aarón Sánchez and Aquiles Chávez, both of whom have new cooking shows on Utilísima; Cesar Millan, world renowned dog behavior specialist and host of the hit National Geographic series “The Dog Whisperer”; FOX Deportes on-air talent Alejandro Blanco and Mara Almada; and a surprise performance by this season’s “American Idol” finalist Karen Rodríguez.

“We’re bringing something the U.S. Hispanic market needs more of: choice,” said Hernan Lopez, President and CEO of Fox International Channels. “Our three content platforms are built around key U.S. Latino values of accomplishment, advancement and inspiration – and come from the company that changed television in the U.S. and around the world.”

In addition to programming highlights, the Upfront served as a forum to launch several tools to help advertisers reach this New Latino Mindset, including a new insights study on the U.S. Latino DNA; Fox Creative Solutions, which will create original branded content; and FHM.com, a destination featuring insights, best practices, and creative solutions to help meet the evolving business challenges of advertisers.

“Spanish Language Cable is getting 22% of the viewers yet less than 10% of the ad dollars,” said Tom Maney, Senior Vice President, Advertising Sales, Fox Hispanic Media Group. “Now that Fox Hispanic Media is bringing choice to the marketplace, advertisers have a new way to follow viewers with their investment”.

Upfront attendees, who were treated to a VIP luncheon prepared by celebrity chefs Aarón Sánchez and Aquiles Chavez of the Utilísima network, learned about the vision and programming for Fox Hispanic Media and its three networks, were introduced to newly-launched Nat Geo Mundo for the first time, and enjoyed a surprise performance by New Yorker, Karen Rodríguez, a top 13 finalist from this season’s “American Idol.”

FOX Deportes – FOX Deportes offers the biggest, exclusive live-sports events where multicultural and multigenerational Latinos can connect with their passion through sports. For 2011, FOX Deportes promises to build on this excitement and provide sports entertainment “Con Garra,” which translates to “Do, or die” or “Live to Win” and encourages individuality and the power to define your own destiny. At 1400 hours per year, FOX Deportes has almost twice the original soccer match hours of all U.S. Latino broadcasters combined and more hours than all of the U.S. Latino cable networks combined. In Q1 of 2011, the network launched three original news and talk shows tailor-made for U.S. Latino sports fans: “Crónica,” a franchise news show that airs seven-days a week; “Crónica +,” for weekend news; and “Sin Códigos,” a franchise soccer talk show that airs seven-days a week.

Nat Geo Mundo – While many Spanish-language networks simply translate English-language content for a Spanish-speaking audience, newly launched Nat Geo Mundo will be predominantly a combination of shows from the National Geographic Channel in Latin America that have never aired in the U.S., as well as newly commissioned and acquired original series and specials, complemented by National Geographic Channel favorites repurposed for a Hispanic audience. Some highlights include “Out of This Mundo: Originals,” “Nat Geo Planet,” “The Dog Whisperer” with Cesar Millan, “Mega Estructuras,” one of National Geographic’s all-time highest rated series and “Tabú,” the highest-rated original factual series in Latin America’s history.

Utilisima – Since its July 2010 launch, Utilísima has become the fastest-growing Spanish-language cable network among women 25 and over. For 2011, the network is developing several top shows in the market for women: including original programming by celebrity chefs Aaron Sanchez and Aquiles Chávez.

Scavenger Hunt – The event also served as a launch pad for the Fox Hispanic Media Scavenger Hunt, an annual tradition started five years ago by FOX Deportes. This interactive promotion pits the country’s top advertising professionals against each other in a fun experiential competition designed to showcase the network’s assets. The Hunt began with 40 players, three years later had 160, and last year included over 300 registered participants representing about 40% of the media buying community.
Spa finder gift cards, flat screen HD televisions and iPads are some of the trophies up for grabs as the Hispanic media community hunts for points and the rewards they yield. The grand prize this year is a trip to the 2012 UEFA Champions League final in Munich, Germany. The hunt begins on May 17th at http://www.daretoplaythefoxhispanicmediascavengerhunt.com.>