WarnerMedia makes first deal for comedy specials coming to HBO Max in 2020

In case you’re wondering how the influx of new streaming platforms coming our way in the next six months is going to impact the digital comedy boom, well, here’s your first hint at what’s to come over at WarnerMedia and HBO Max.

At Thursday’s L’ATTITUDE conference in San Diego, WarnerMedia announced a first-look deal with New Cadence Productions that will result in at least one new stand-up comedy special for HBO Max.

New Cadence (NCP) will produce Latinx comedy coming out of the new HA Comedy Festival in San Antonio — though the festival doesn’t have a web presence yet, it’s billed as a three-day fest for “a “who’s who” of Latinx comedians and celebrities, while nurturing and spotlighting new Latinx stand up and sketch talent.” The deal between WarnerMedia and NCP also includes a commitment to develop a new series for HBO Max and/or one of the affiliated networks under the HBO Max umbrella (TNT, TBS, truTV, HBO).

“The NCP team understands how to tap into a vibrant yet virtually untapped talent pool and showcase ideas, stories and characters that will resonate with this underserved audience and appeal more broadly,” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max and President, TNT, TBS, and truTV.

New Cadence Productions is headed by Sol Trujillo, the former teleco Chair/CEO of US West, Telstra and Orange SA; Jeff Valdez, an award-winning and pioneering producer, writer; Bruce Barshop whose family founded La Quinta Hotels and now actively invests across media and technology; and Vincent Cordero, a veteran C-Suite media executive including HBO, 21st Century FOX and Univision.

Here are quotes from them from the announcement:

Trujillo said: “This agreement between WarnerMedia Entertainment and NCP is illustrative of the fact that the WarnerMedia family really ‘gets it,’ they understand what I have been calling the New Mainstream economy, which is being driven by the U.S. Latino cohort that accounts for $2.1 trillion in GDP and almost one quarter of all people under 34 in the US.”

“We will be creating content that successfully crosses over to all audiences,” said Valdez. “Our stories will be aspirational, humorous and create a sense of normalcy for US Latinos, as part of America’s New Mainstream.This new relationship between WarnerMedia Entertainment and NCP will give us a wide-reaching platform to bring premium content to the forefront.”

“We are very excited about WarnerMedia Entertainment and Kevin Reilly’s fresh perspective and sincere commitment to be innovators in Hollywood,” said Cordero.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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