Frank Cuscó, President of Ole Interactive:
Following the announcement of the creation of Tastemade Latin America—a partnership between media company Tastemade and Ole Interactive—Bruno Loureiro, Head of Sales & Brand Partnerships for LatAm at Tastemade, and Francisco Cuscó, President of Ole Interactive, shared details on the objectives and strategies behind this alliance, which aims to revolutionize the streaming market in the region.
“We were already working together. In mid-2023, we began commercially representing Tastemade in Spanish-speaking markets such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. We saw incredible potential for the brand and the need to invest in original content and local productions,” Cuscó shared.
Loureiro added: “Ole Interactive is a specialist in Latin America. They have a robust structure in several countries that we lacked, allowing us to operate more efficiently and explore new opportunities, such as distribution on traditional channels.”
The FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) model is one of Tastemade’s key regional strategies. “We were one of the first companies to invest in FAST on a global level,” Loureiro highlighted. “In Latin America, we became Samsung’s first FAST channel in the region and consistently rank among the top five in viewership. People are changing their relationship with television, and streaming is growing in this region.”
He noted that they aim to bring more channels to Latin America. “Right now, we have food and travel channels focused on gastronomy, but we want to introduce others already available in the U.S., such as home and travel channels. We see an opportunity to launch them this year, with prior planning, alongside regional content we want to develop.”
Cuscó added: “Consumers have never consumed more content than they do today. Streamers are gaining traction, but what’s interesting is that both free-to-air television and streaming coexist within the TV ecosystem. We believe the future of linear television lies in FAST, with a robust and premium content offering.”
He echoed Loureiro’s sentiment, stating, “We will start seeing a fusion between traditional TV and FAST. There will be FAST channels so premium and content-rich that they will coexist seamlessly with traditional TV channels. Users are constantly channel surfing, which proves that linear consumption remains convenient and relevant.”
A key pillar of Tastemade Latin America’s strategy is the production of original content. “We are developing a content strategy based on three pillars: U.S.-produced content that we will dub, regionally licensed content, and original productions. We want to balance these elements to deliver an authentic and relevant experience.”
For both executives, this partnership also opens new opportunities for advertisers. “We will work closely with Bruno to develop branded content proposals,” Cuscó explained. “Our production capabilities in Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina will allow us to offer brand-integrated content within Tastemade’s ecosystem.”
Loureiro added, “We want to bring branded content to our FAST channels. Brands want to be part of cultural conversations, and this type of content allows them to reach audiences organically.”
The first results of this alliance will be seen soon. “We are launching new home and travel-focused channels,” Loureiro revealed. “We are already working on planning and sourcing original content for these channels. Additionally, we want to strengthen our distribution in countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Colombia.”
Finally, they emphasized, “This alliance is a platform to launch and monetize FAST offerings in the region. We are excited about Tastemade’s potential to grow in Latin America and become a household name.”
