Discovery Communications Announces Investment and Strategic Partnership with Digital Content Leader Batanga Media

Discovery Communications today announced it has made an investment in and formed a strategic partnership with Batanga Media, the largest independent digital media and content company for Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market.

Batanga Media is prominent across all platforms, having attained a monthly social reach of 215+ million, with an ever increasing fan base:

• 40+ million Facebook followers
• 90+ million uniques across Batanga Media’s owned-and-operated properties and social channels, which include: Vix, Batanga, iMujer,and Bolsa de Mulher
• 780+ million video views in November 2016
• 8+ billion social impressions in November 2016

Building on its long term strategy to engage more viewers across more screens than ever before, the deal will enable Discovery to give consumers improved access to a new and exciting range of Discovery content, attracting young passionate enthusiasts that advertisers want to reach, through Batanga Media’s strong base of millennial audiences.

Batanga Media’s proven expertise in creating content that engages audiences across social and mobile platforms, will support Discovery’s efforts to super-serve its audiences throughout Latin America and enable advertisers the opportunity to reach their desired audience cross-platform via linear, digital and social. The new partnership will also allow Discovery to leverage Batanga Media’s data-driven content creation process.

Enrique R. Martínez, President and Managing Director of Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic highlighted this deal as the start of a strong new partnership with incredible brands, reach and scale. “Our investment in the largest independent digital content company in Latin America shows Discovery’s commitment to grow even further within the region, to build our presence across new platforms, and provide an unmatched service for superfans across all screens, engaging new audiences with best-in-class content and providing our advertisers unique branded content opportunities in a digital and social environment.”

Rafael Urbina, CEO, Batanga Media said “This is a winning scenario for us, allowing our company the opportunity to remain independent and build our own future, while at the same time, having the support of one of the best media and entertainment companies in the world. Together, we will have more influence; we will be better partners to our advertisers; and most importantly, we will be able to make an even bigger impact and continue to stay ahead of the market.”

The partnership between Discovery and Batanga Media will include a commercial agreement that will enable advertisers to reach their desired audience via true 360 opportunities across linear, digital, and social platforms.

Martinez and Michael Bremer, CFO & COO of Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic will be joining the Batanga Media Board. In addition to Discovery, Batanga Media’s other major investors include HarbourVest Partners, H.I.G. Ventures and Tudor Ventures.

The deal follows a significant investment by Discovery in November, which led to the formation of Group Nine Media, one of the world’s largest digital first, social video companies, with brands including The Dodo, NowThis, Seeker and Thrillist.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) satisfies curiosity and engages superfans with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, sports and kids programming brands. Reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers across pay-TV and free-to-air platforms in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery’s portfolio includes the global brands Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports content across Europe. Discovery reaches audiences across screens through digital-first programming from Discovery VR, over-the-top offerings Eurosport Player and Dplay, as well as TV Everywhere products comprising the GO portfolio of TVE apps and Discovery K!ds Play. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

About Batanga Media
Batanga Media connects with audiences through social and mobile content that reinforces identity, sparks curiosity and inspires. Its four properties, Batanga, iMujer, Vix and Bolsademulher, create emotional connections with over 150 million unique users a month.  Batanga Media enables marketers to tell their brand stories to engaged consumers at scale through branded content and video offerings that leverage social distribution.  Founded in 1999, Batanga Media is the largest multi-cultural digital media and content company for the U.S. Hispanic market, Latin America, and Brazil and is headquartered in Miami, Florida with operations in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. For more information, please visit us at www.batangamedia.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/batangamedia.