Vix (streaming service)

Vix (stylized as ViX) is an over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision. The service primarily shows content either owned by TelevisaUnivision or acquired from third-party content providers, including television series, movies, and sports programming.

Originally launched in the United States as PrendeTV on March 30, 2021, the service was merged with TelevisaUnivision's other streaming services under its current branding on March 31, 2022.

History

The Vix brand has its origins from Batanga Media, an Hispanic digital media company founded in 1999 as Planet Networks. Vix was launched as a website in 2015, and two years later, Batanga Media would rebrand under the Vix name in 2017.

On January 13, 2021, Univision announced the impending launch of PrendeTV, an ad-supported streaming service, in the first quarter of 2021. On February 1, 2021, Univision acquired Vix, which at the time was considered to be the largest Spanish-language AVOD (Ad-Supported Video on Demand) service. PrendeTV was launched in the United States on March 30, 2021, with the Vix brand being retained outside the country. On May 3, 2021, less than a month after merging with Televisa to form TelevisaUnivision, the company announced that it had acquired the television rights for Euro 2020 for PrendeTV and TUDN, as well as acquiring rights for Brazilian and Argentine leagues.

In June 2021, TelevisaUnivision announced the launch of a new combined streaming service that would bring together PrendeTV, Vix, Univision Now, and Blim TV under one name in 2022. In February 2022, it was announced that PrendeTV, Blim TV, and the original Vix AVOD service acquired in 2021 would be merged into the AVOD tier of a relaunched Vix in March. The company also announced the launch of a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) tier called Vix+, which would feature premium series & films and live sporting events (including FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022) for Mexican audiences. Vix+ would launch on July 21, 2022.

In April 2023, the name Vix+ was phased out and would be unified with the Vix brand. In a article from Deadline, TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis said in a conference call with Wall Street analysts that eliminating the "+" from the name "will not change the strategy at all, they will only improve the service as Vix for free with advertising and its paid version." Vix+ was rebranded as Vix Premium.

Sometime around 2024, Vix was abruptly discontinued in Brazil.

In December 2024, TelevisaUnivision and Atresmedia announced an agreement for the launch of Vix in Spain through Atresplayer starting in January 2025. It thus became available in Spain on January 28, 2025.

In May 2025, it was announced that TelevisaUnivision and Disney Entertainment would form an alliance between the two companies. In the United States, Vix's Mexican channels will be available on Hulu+ Live TV, which will be finalized on June 3. In Mexico, users who subscribe to the Vix service will have a subscription to the Disney+ catalog, which will be finalized in early June.

Programming

ViX's programing includes classic TV, documentaries, television series, films, and sports programming and telenovelas from Televisa's telenovela library.

Original programming

Drama

Comedy

Unscripted

Docuseries

Reality

Co-productions

These programs have been commissioned by Vix in cooperation with a partner network.

Exclusive international distribution

These programs, even though ViX has announced them as ViX Originals, are programs that have been aired in different countries, and ViX has bought exclusive distribution rights to stream them in other various countries. They may be available on ViX in their home territory and other markets where ViX does not have the first run license, without the ViX Original label, some time after their first-run airing on their original broadcaster.

Original films

Exclusive international distribution films

These products, even though Vix lists them as ViX Originals, are films that have been released in different countries, and ViX has bought exclusive distribution rights to stream them in other various countries. They may be available on ViX in their home territory and other markets where ViX does not have the first run license, without the ViX Original label.

Sports programming

ViX also carries sports programming, in conjunction with TU DN.

The service has picked up other domestic football events as well, including the Argentine Primera División, Brasileirão, Peru's Primera División and Colombia's Categoría Primera A for the United States.

Current broadcasting rights

= Mexico

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= United States

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Batanga Media

Batanga Media was an independent digital media company serving the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets. Batanga Media's digital properties include Batanga.com, Batanga Radio, iMujer.com, and BolsadeMulher.com. Founded in 1999 by Troy McConnell, Luis Brandwayn and Jochen Fischer in North Carolina, Batanga Media is now headquartered in Miami, Florida with operations in 14 countries including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

Batanga Radio was an online music streaming service owned and operated by Batanga Media. Batanga Radio users stream millions of songs per year and create over hundreds of thousands of custom stations every month. Batanga Radio was built to be an online radio application. Batanga Radio users can “tell” the application to add or remove certain artists, songs, genres and even decades of music. Batanga Radio's playlist technology reacts to user interactions and a user’s location. Song lyrics are available on every song page and as every song plays. With every song that plays on Batanga Radio, users receive a list of five similar tracks to explore, listen to and/or add to their playlists. Using the songs and artists already chosen by users, the application identifies new songs that are similar. Batanga Radio is accessible across mobile and tablet devices. In 2016, Batanga Media and Discovery Networks became partners.

In early 2017, Batanga Media announced the change of its name to Vix.com, and described their new editorial line and approach as follows: "We create content that sparks curiosity and adds value to millions of people every day. Our content lives in English, Spanish and Portuguese on Vix.com, and across a variety of social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. With over 50 million social followers, our content reaches over 325 million people and our videos receive more than 1 billion views every month. We are proud to be the largest independent digital media content company for the U.S Hispanic market, Latin America and Brazil."

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:ViX_(streaming_service)
Univision
Televisa subsidiaries
Internet television streaming services
Subscription video on demand services
Internet properties established in 2021
Video on demand services