El Rey Network (Spanish for The King) is a media brand founded by
Robert Rodriguez on December 15, 2013, that is currently owned in a joint venture with
FactoryMade Ventures.
Until December 31, 2020, El Rey was a cable and satellite network, operated and distributed in-partnership with Univision Communications (now known as
TelevisaUnivision), dedicated to
Grindhouse-style programming targeting
Hispanic audiences. By March 2015, approximately 40 million households received El Rey;[1][2] its carriage would fall to 13 million households by the time of the network's closure.[3]
History
As a television network (2013–2020)
El Rey Network was one of two ethnic outlets created as part of an agreement between
Comcast,
NBC Universal, and the
FCC as a condition for the
merger between the former two broadcasters (the other network being
Revolt).[1]
The network's headquarters was in
Austin, Texas, and launched as part of the digital basic service on some of Comcast's systems.[4][5] Comcast announced that the network was expected to debut by January 2014.[6] In August 2012, Antoinette Alfonso Zel was announced as CEO.[7] In May 2013, Univision Communications (now known as
TelevisaUnivision USA) announced that it would be an investor for El Rey, handling the sales and distribution of the network.[8][9]
Between 2018 and 2020, various cable and satellite providers began dropping the network. On November 6, 2020, Univision announced it had sold its stake in El Rey, as part of a larger effort by the company to refocus on its core Spanish-language businesses.[22][23] Soon after, it would be reported that El Rey would cease operations on December 31, though it was speculated that the network would relaunch as a streaming brand.[24] The network went dark at 11:59 p.m.
Pacific.[25]
As a streaming network (2021–present)
On August 6, 2021, El Rey Network announced a partnership with
Cinedigm that would see the network relaunch as a streaming channel. As part of this agreement, Cinedigm will exclusively distribute Rodriguez's 2019 film, Red 11, and a companion docuseries titled Rebel Without a Crew: The Robert Rodriguez Film School.[26][27][28] El Rey would relaunch later that month via
The Roku Channel on August 17.[29]
Programming
El Rey Network's original programming included
action genre series, sports, and lifestyle programming. Annual programming included a marathon of
Toho-produced Godzilla films during the
Christmas &
Independence Day weekends and the
ThanksgivingWay of the Turkey marathon of
kung fu films.[30]
^Starace, Alex (Winter 2017).
"Animation Creation: Octopie Network Spreads its Tentacles". International Opulence Magazine. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Horizon Publishing. p. 99. Retrieved January 24, 2020. Note: Scroll down the target page to the digital magazine for Winter 2017/2018 and access page 99.