Actress, producer, and activist Eva Longoria’s production company Unbelievable Entertainment has already struck a deal with iHeartMedia to produce a slate of podcasts for its My Cultura network. She is also part of a group of boldface Hispanic names buying a group of radio stations from TelevisaUnivision. Now she is joining forces with entertainment executive and entrepreneur Cris Abrego to form a new media holding company and content studio called Hyphenate Media Group. While mainly focused on film and television projects, the group also has podcasts as part of their plan.
"With Hyphenate Media Group, Cris and I are leveraging the power of the creative industry's greatest resource, the multi-hyphenate, to help meet audiences and the industry where they are,” Longoria said in the announcement. “We are answering the industry's call for premium inclusive content with broad appeal and an undeniable point of view."
To jumpstart its own independent studio function, Hyphenate Media Group has acquired the full slate of Unbelievable Entertainment, the independent production label founded by Longoria in 2005. Its projects will be folded into the core operations of the new business, with Hyphenate taking over and advancing the entire lineup as well developing new scripted and unscripted programs. Its first title, Apple TV+'s “Land of Women,” is expected to be released in 2024. Both Abrego and Longoria will produce exclusively for the new company, and all television projects directed by Longoria will be produced under the new banner.
“Our intention is to provide greater financial participation for makers, creators, talent, and entrepreneurs – the Hyphenates,” Longoria said. “Given the multiple transformations that our business is undergoing, I cannot think of a better time to lean into makers, who are the essential drivers of the creative enterprise.”
Under its deal with iHeart’s My Cultura, Longoria’s Unbelievable Entertainment has to date launched three podcasts including the history show Sisters of the Underground, the food series Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez-Rejón, and the chat show Connections with Eva Longoria.
The new venture will invest in creator-led enterprises as well as develop and produce its own slate of original programming. Abrego will serve as the CEO of the company, and Longoria will serve as its Chief Creative Officer. The global production company Banijay, where Abrego has served as Chairman of the Americas since 2020, has made a strategic investment in the new business to accelerate its growth.
"With Hyphenate Media Group, Eva and I are building an engine for culture-defining content by investing in visionary multi-hyphenate artists and providing these extraordinary creative leaders with the resources and infrastructure they need to scale their businesses,” Abergo said in a statement. “Through capital, brand development, and the leadership provided by Hyphenate, we will drive their creative output, enhance their deal-making capacity, and grow their brands, building franchises driven by original IP.”
Abrego and Longoria are currently in negotiations with several key executives and anticipate announcing their leadership team later this year.
Comments