Netflix has never shown its original shows on another platform or network — but that’s about to change.
According to Mashable, Netflix and Univision have agreed to a record broadcast deal that will bring season one of Netflix’s “Narcos” to the Spanish-speaking network. The second season of the Golden Globe-nominated show about a 1980s drug pin will even air on Univision before showing on Netflix.
“Narcos is a huge global success on Netflix and sampling the series to every single Spanish-speaking living room in the U.S. will give additional viewers the opportunity to fall in love with its unique storytelling,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement.
“Promoting these original shows on Univision is a great way to further reach Hispanic audiences and help them discover Netflix,” he added.
“Narcos” isn’t the only show Netflix is sharing with Univision.
The deal also includes Netflix’s Mexican teen comedy-drama “Club de Cuervos” that will air on UniMás, Univision’s channel for young people. The companies are also creating new content together by co-producing a new series about Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. That show will air in 2017 on UniMás and later on Netflix.
While this partnership is good for Univision as it continues attempts to broaden its digital efforts, it’s also very good for Netflix as it continues to ramp up efforts to reach a larger Latino audience, Mashable noted.
“No other media company understands Hispanic-American audiences like Univision and this promotional partnership speaks to our ability to reach and engage our growth consumer with unmatched scale and depth,” said Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications.
“We are pleased to work with Netflix and leverage Univision’s unique reach and deep connection with our audience to introduce millions of our viewers to their ground-breaking series.”
This deal shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Last year Univision signed an agreement with Netflix to stream some of the network’s most beloved shows and novellas such as “Teresa,” “Maria la del Barrio,” “Lo Que La Vida Me Robó,” “Por Ella Soy Eva,” “La Viuda Negra” and “Rosa de Guadalupe.”