TelevisaUnivision Strikes Deal With Issa Rae’s Branded Entertainment Firm Ensemble (Exclusive)

Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision wants to push farther into the creator economy, and is partnering with Ensemble, a branded entertainment company co-founded by Issa Rae and media industry veterans Ian Schafer and Matt Berger, to do so.

Under the partnership, Ensemble will work with Así Studios, TelevisaUnivision’s in-house brand studio, to give Hispanic creators new opportunities by connecting them with brands and giving them access to production resources and skills training.

That will include access to TelevisaUnivision’s studios across the country, with the media company hosting “creator camps” connected to some of its major events.

The company say that creator content “will be integrated across TelevisaUnivision’s IP, including some of the biggest moments in music, sports and entertainment, to deliver authentic, in-culture content from leading voices in the social space while helping brands maximize growth.”

In other words, creators that participate have the potential to be seen by a much larger audience than what they can get on just social platforms. TelevisaUnivision will also give some creators special access to its special cultural events.

“Hispanic creators deserve equal opportunities and resources to succeed, and there’s always more work to be done to ensure they have access. We’ve built robust capabilities through Así Creators to meet the needs of brands in connecting them with authentic voices in the Latino community, but there’s always more work to be done,” said Dan Riess, executive VP and chief growth officer at TelevisaUnivision. “Ensemble is the perfect partner – we’re excited to add our platform to their mission of helping Hispanic creators to learn, grow and increase visibility on social and beyond.”

“As we execute on our mission to bring more equity to the Creator Economy, it’s imperative that we have like-minded partners who are doing the work to provide more opportunities for creators from underrepresented communities,” added Ian Schafer, president of Ensemble. “This powerful partnership will empower Ensemble’s market-leading Hispanic creators, through TelevisaUnivision’s unmatched portfolio of IP and experiences, to more deeply engage with brands in and around ‘La Cultura’ regardless of platform or format. But just as importantly, this partnership will provide practical on-ramps for the next generation of professional Hispanic content creators to sustainably emerge and succeed.”