On Monday, Roku announced the launch of a new Spanish-language hub on [The Roku Channel] called Espacio Latino. The free, ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) content destination aggregates thousands of hours of Spanish-language content including movies, TV shows, telenovelas, news, and family entertainment, as well as provides a home to both Roku originals and exclusives.
Espacio Latino will feature content from existing Roku partners Lionsgate, Cinedigm, A+E Networks, BBC Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Film Movement, Pantaya, EstrellaTV, TelevisaUnivision, beIN SPORTS, and more.
“The launch of Espacio Latino marks an exciting step forward in our efforts to create a unified Spanish language experience for millions of streamers to enjoy on The Roku Channel,” the head of Roku Channel’s AVOD service Ashley Hovey said. “Our team worked diligently with some of the most renowned content providers in the Spanish language space to create a robust lineup of top tier telenovelas, sports, news, movies, TV series and more for audiences to enjoy for free. We’re ecstatic to introduce Espacio Latino and can’t wait to continue creating a strong Spanish language entertainment experience on The Roku Channel.”
Roku — the No. 1 streaming platform in the United States — notes that 70% of Spanish viewing households that watch the Roku Channel are cord-cutters and do not have a pay-TV subscription and use The Roku Channel at least three days per week. The hope is that Espacio Latino will become a one-stop-shop for all of their Spanish-language content needs.
Espacio Latino will be the home to numerous original and exclusive programs as well. Roku Originals will be available in Spanish on Espacio Latino, including the recent docuseries “Mamas,” narrated in Spanish by Zoë Saldaña, and “Natural Born Narco,” which will debut on July 8.
Other streaming exclusives will include “Hernan,” “Hunting Ava Bravo,” “A la Mala,” “Enamorada,” Seasons 1-3 of “El Señor de los Cielos,” “El Chema: Edición Especial,” and the first two seasons of “Señora Acero.”
In addition to on-demand content, the new hub will feature over 50 live TV channels, more than half of which are new to the service. The live channels will feature sports, news, music, and entertainment programming from Canela.TV, EstrellaTV, TelevisaUnivision, The Weather Channel en Español, beIN SPORTS and more. All of these channels will be accessible through Espacio Latino and The Roku Channel’s Live TV Guide.
Additionally, all users who are subscribed to a premium subscription through The Roku Channel will automatically have access to the content inside Espacio Latino.
Streaming services have become increasingly interested in capturing the Spanish-speaking market both domestically and internationally. Following their $4.8 billion merger, the newly formed TelevisaUnivision launched their AVOD streamer ViX earlier this spring with plans of rolling out a premium subscription version later this year. On the live TV streaming front, YouTube TV announced two new Spanish-language offerings last month.
As Roku continues to expand its TV operating system dominance, by moving aggressively into Spanish-language programming, the company could very well help extend its reach beyond the inevitably saturated English-speaking market.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free live TV streaming service that provides 350+ live linear streaming channels and more than 80,000 free movies and TV shows. The library contains entertainment from several different decades, including some major hits.