Pantaya was an American OTT

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

service targeted for Hispanic and Spanish-language viewers. Content included programs and films released in Latin America and original programming, as well as Spanish dubs from

Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...

's select catalogue. The streaming service was available in the

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and

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, and content can be accessed globally through other streaming services such as

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. After the acquisition of Pantaya by

TelevisaUnivision TelevisaUnivision (formerly known as Univision Communications) is a Mexican-American media company headquartered in Miami and Mexico City that owns American Spanish language broadcast network Univision and free-to-air channels in Mexico such as ...

in May, 7 months later in December, Pantaya ceased its services, and notified users about the switch to

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History

Pantaya was launched in August 2017 in a joint venture between

and Hemisphere Media Group. Paul Presburger was appointed as

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the streaming service, who is also CEO of Pantelion Films. Lionsgate has owned 75% of the streaming platform while Hemisphere owned 25% at the time. In 2019, the platform has reached 500,000 subscribers. In that same year, Pantaya has expanded into producing original programming, starting with ''

El juego de las llaves ''El juego de las llaves'' is a Mexican comedy television series created by Marisa Quiroga. It premiered on 16 August 2019 on Amazon Prime Video. The series features an ensemble cast including Maite Perroni, Humberto Busto, Marimar Vega, Sebasti ...

'' which debuted in August of that year. In 2021, Hemisphere Media Group has acquired full ownership rights to the Pantaya streaming service from

for $124 million, following the latter's decision to focus on the expansion of its

Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...

brand. Lionsgate's CEO Brian Goldsmith has stated that the studio was "very proud to have helped build Pantaya into the leading premium Spanish-language platform in the U.S.," and added that Hemisphere Media Group was "the right owner". Additionally, Hemisphere CEO Alan Sokol said that the company is aiming for expansion. "There's so much more we can do, and the opportunity is so much greater," Sokol said. "We've set a stated goal of 2.5 to 3 million subscribers by 2025. But honestly we feel that's a conservative goal and that the opportunity is two to three times that." As of April 2021, there are 900,000 subscribers to Pantaya. More recently, she had signed a deal with actress

Fernanda Castillo María Fernanda Castillo García (born 24 March 1982), known as Fernanda Castillo, is a Mexican actress. She is best known for her work in several telenovelas, including her role as Mónica Robles in '' El Señor de los Cielos''. Career Sin ...

, whereas the actress would star in Pantaya's upcoming projects. In May 2022,

reached a deal with Hemisphere Media Group to acquire Pantaya, targeting the platform in order to fortify their own

streaming service. The acquisition was completed on September 13 of that year.

References

External links

Official website
{{VOD services 2017 establishments in California Internet properties established in 2017 Internet properties disestablished in 2022 Internet television streaming services Subscription video on demand services Defunct video on demand services Entertainment companies established in 2017 Entertainment companies disestablished in 2022 Companies based in Los Angeles Former Lionsgate subsidiaries Televisa subsidiaries 2022 mergers and acquisitions