Telemundo Studios: “We’re Going All In On The Development Strategy Because We’re Opening Several Fronts In Formats”

Sergio Mendoza, VP Scripted Development at Telemundo Studios, started at Telemundo as a literary editor in a writers’ room led by Roberto Stopello, also worked with Perla Farías, then became a dialogue writer, writer and Head Writer, and in recent years joined the executive side, where he got his start alongside Marco Santana. “I’ve had the chance to work with the greats,” he told EN VIVO with Ríchard Izarra from Iberseries & Platino Industria.

Mendoza highlighted the moment Telemundo is going through. “This is a year in which Telemundo is going all in on the development strategy because it’s opening several fronts in terms of formats. We have our longtime specialty, which is linear TV with the long format, the super series such as El Señor de los Cielos and La Reina del Sur, which define us so much, but we’ve already started opening doors with the premium format. We had a huge success with Catedrales with our partners at Underground. We have several projects of that kind coming up. We’re getting into microdramas. This year we’ll premiere our first Christmas movie,” said Mendoza.

While it’s true that in this market they’re looking for projects, they’re also looking for alliances. “We’re talking a lot about business models, co-production, having strategic partners and projects that make sense within those new business models, where the most important thing for us, with all the challenges facing production, is that the products keep the quality that the audience deserves and that we’re used to. If that requires forming alliances, we welcome it and we want to be the first ones at the table to work,” he noted.

He mentioned that they’re moving full speed ahead with the Telemundo-style vertical strategy. “The industry is changing and we want to evolve with it, so that new audiences get to know what Telemundo is,” he added.

LEADERSHIP WITH ITS FEET ON THE GROUND

Mendoza also noted that Telemundo is a company that tries to stay aware of where the market stands and what moment it’s going through.

He highlighted Telemundo’s current leadership, “which has its feet firmly on the ground.” He mentioned Luis Fernández, Chairman of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, whom he has known since Fernández was President of News, and JC Acosta, the new Head of Telemundo Studios, with whom he started working a couple of weeks ago. “We know he’s going to do great things,” he said.