Here’s the reality singing competition Simon Cowell is in New York City to promote at the upfronts. It’s called “La Banda” and its for Spanish language network, Univision.
Simon and his company SYCO are on the hunt for the next big Latino boyband. The winning band will receive a recording contract with Sony Music Latin.
Of course the press release drops the name of Simon’s biggest success story, the X Factor UK alums One Direction!
The competition is set to premiere sometime in 2015. Read all about it below:
NEW YORK – MAY 13, 2014 – Univision Communications Inc. and Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment today announced a new music-based TV and multi-media format; “La Banda” (The Band). With a new take on the singing competition show format, “La Banda” will search the US and Latin America to put together the ultimate Latino boyband. Representing Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, contestants will compete for their place in “La Banda” and for a coveted recording contract with Sony Music Latin, label home to the most prolific Latin music artists, along with Syco Music, the recording label for the world’s biggest selling boyband – One Direction.
“La Banda” will debut on the Univision Network in 2015. Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America, is a top-tier multimedia company with 16 broadcast, cable and digital networks; 62 television stations; 68 radio stations; an array of online and mobile apps, products and content creation facilities in Miami, New York and Los Angeles.
Syco Entertainment is one of the world’s leading global entertainment companies and is responsible for creating the world’s most successful international music and TV formats; Got Talent (now 63 countries), X Factor (46 countries) as well as a film, digital and music division. Syco Music signed music phenomenon One Direction (X Factor 2010) who were 2013’s bestselling artists in the world. Sony Music Latin is the leading Latin music company in the US and home to the world’s biggest Latin stars, including Ricky Martin, Shakira, Marc Anthony, Romeo Santos, Chayanne, Prince Royce and many others. Consistently dominating Billboard’s Top Latin Album chart, Sony Music and its artists were the top winners at this year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards and 2014’s Premio Lo Nuestro as well as the most recent Latin Grammy Awards.
“Univision’s collaboration with Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment is part of our commitment to innovation and to raising the bar in entertainment for our audiences and partners,” said Alberto Ciurana, president, Programming and Content, Univision Communications Inc. “‘La Banda’ will tap into Hispanic America’s passion for music unlike any other program on television and will bring millions of fans the next international musical sensation.”
Simon Cowell said, “I’m delighted to be partnering with Univision on this new format. They are fantastically ambitious and most importantly for ‘La Banda’ they are totally focused on discovering and creating the next music superstars. There is a huge opportunity for this band and we are going to be giving the power via this show to the millions of teenage fans.”
Senior Producer, Kelly Belldegrun leading the partnership for Syco Entertainment added, “Univision are the perfect partner for our format La Banda; they are a multi-media powerhouse and the undisputed leaders in entertainment for the Latino audience. With such engaged live viewing this is the best place for our show.”
