El Rey Network


El Rey Network is an American television network founded by Robert Rodriguez that launched on December 15, 2013 and is owned in a joint venture with Univision and Cox Communications. Targeting a Hispanic American audience, the network specializes in grindhouse-style content.
As of March 2015, approximately 40 million households receive El Rey Network.

History

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 network's headquarters was in Austin, Texas, and launched as part of the digital basic service on some of Comcast's systems. Comcast announced that the network was expected to debut by January 2014. In August 2012, the network announced that its CEO was Antoinette Alfonso Zel. In May 2013, Univision announced that it was investing in El Rey.
In November 2013, it was announced that the production of had begun. Upon launch in the week of December 15, 2013, El Rey was also offered by cable companies Time Warner Cable, with Bright House Networks offering soon later in January 2014, and Cox Communications by February 2014.
The first satellite service to host El Rey was DirecTV in January 2014,
That year, Lucha libre program Lucha Underground, featuring wrestlers from Lucha Libre AAA World Wide and produced by Mark Burnett, premiered on October 29, 2014. The show would go on to become the network's flagship series and both it, and the correspoding promotion, received positive reception.
Dish Network would begin carrying El Rey in January 2015. The following month, El Rey was made available through cable company Suddenlink Communications in select markets. In July 2016, it was added to the Verizon Fios lineup. However, it was removed, along with all other Univision networks, in October 2017 due to carriage disputes.

Programming

El Rey Network primarily airs action films and oriented television series. Annual programming include a marathon of Toho-produced Godzilla films during the Christmas & Independence Day weekends and the Thanksgiving Way of the Turkey marathon of kung fu films.

Current programming

As of August 2019

Original programming

Former original programming