UrbanoTV (www.UrbanoTV.com), a new Latino video and entertainment company from actor, John Leguizamo, announced its launch plans today. Described as a Latino YouTube meets Hulu platform, UrbanoTV aims to be the leading curator of culturally relevant video content for U.S. Hispanics. At launch time, the site already touts 15 original shows, 150 original episodes, 100 content partners and 1,000 aggregated episodic videos. UrbanoTV also features top Latino bloggers, picture galleries and interactive vCards that can be shared socially. Like YouTube, the site is free and open to both content producers and people who just want to come enjoy the experience.
“Simply put, if J.Lo and Mark Zuckerberg had cyber sex, UrbanoTV would be the love child. All kidding aside, I’m really excited to see where we can take this company given how many Latinos are online today with nothing like UrbanoTV available until now,” said partner and spokesperson John Leguizamo.
UrbanoTV will feature content in both English and Spanish and will be open to all categories and content sources. The most popular advertiser-friendly content will have the best chance of being featured. The site’s STARS program even aims at directly connecting advertisers with rising Latino talent with significant social media followings who want to create branded content.
Many of UrbanoTV’s channel partners at launch time are already Internet stars in the making. Website LatinHeat.com has built a channel for their show Let’s Talk, a Latina web series similar to the popular TV show The View. Sketch comedy groups Chico’s Angels, A Pair of Nuts and Dominizuelan, all of whom have developed strong followings on the live comedy show circuit, also have UrbanoTV channels that are already gaining in popularity. UrbanoTV’s blog section of 50 and climbing boasts many established Latino bloggers such as Mami of Multiples, Vivir Latino (Living Latino) and First Class Fashionista to name just a few.
Given the dearth of traditional Spanish-language TV content for less acculturated U.S. Hispanics, UrbanoTV’s goal is to offer the more digitally savvy bilingual and bicultural Latino audience a welcome alternative. With 18MM (or about 75%) of U.S. Hispanics online being bilingual and English-dominant, UrbanoTV is seeking to touch this growing majority segment that has been largely untapped and un-aggregated to date.