Netflix will syndicate Narcos, their hugely popular dramatization of the life and death of Pablo Escobar, on Univision, according to the The New York Times. This is a huge deal for the broadcast TV world, and marks the first time the usual one-way relationship between content streaming providers and broadcasters has been reversed.
“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,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said, according to Variety. “Promoting these original shows on Univision is a great way to further reach Hispanic audiences and help them discover Netflix.”
The deal also grants Univision’s sister network, UniMás, the right to televise Club de Cuervos, a Spanish-language, Mexican comedy-drama original series from Netflix.
Lastly, Netflix and Univision will co-produce a new drama series called El Chapo, based on the cartel leader who made headlines after escaping from a Mexican prison. El Chapo will premiere on UniMás in 2017, becoming available to Netflix subscribers worldwide following the debut.
“El Chapo is a great example of how Univision continues to innovate and evolve with premium storytelling formats. The IP we’ve developed from more than 50 years of award-winning news and investigations gives us unique and innovative ways to tell stories in a way no other network can,” Univision Communications President and CEO Randy Falco said, according to Variety. “We are pleased to deliver this groundbreaking series to audiences in the U.S. and around the world.”
Narcos Season 2 is currently in production in Colombia, and is expected to premiere in August 2016.
