Several interactive shows are in the pipeline at the Mexico City-based company while a prototype for a sports-related unscripted program is the upcoming \u201cCopa Combate\u201d series which EndemolShine Boomdog is developing with La Jaula Studios. The six-episode series covers \u201cCopa Combate,\u201d the apex of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting and the only one-night, eight-fighter, single-elimination tournament in the sport.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview with\u00a0Variety,<\/em>\u00a0Rinc\u00f3n traced the rise of his company that began in his home country, Venezuela, under the name Cinema Concept, where he, armed with a degree in Social Communication and Graphic Design, started creating graphic packages for burgeoning cable companies in 1997.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started to build a very good relationship with the cable companies \u2013 Sony, Warner, Disney, HBO \u2013 and we began creating small interstitial programs for them that involved branding, brand mentions and things like that,\u201d he relates.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When the political and economic situation grew more unstable in Venezuela and the cable companies moved out, Rinc\u00f3n and his founding partner Carlos Perna set up shop in Mexico City in 2007, changing the company name to Boomdog.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where we started working more extensively with the cable companies, producing shows \u2013 our first formats, since we hadn\u2019t done formats before. We created a late-night show called \u2018Ya es mediod\u00eda en China\u2019 for Sony, \u2018Mexico\u2019s Next Top Model\u2019 for Sony, \u2018Fashion Police\u2019 for E! Entertainment and \u2018The Soup,\u2019 also for E! Entertainment,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Endemol began commissioning the company to provide production services for some of its shows in Mexico, which marked the beginning of a strong and successful relationship. Over time, this collaboration evolved into a joint venture, and in 2017 \u2013 10 years later \u2013 the company officially entered into a joint venture agreement with Endemol.<\/p>\n The company began representing Endemol\u2019s catalog in Mexico and the U.S. Hispanic market just as networks started opening up to working with third-party companies. As the cable business declined, the company expanded into network and emerging streaming platform productions. This shift led to steady growth across new platforms. In 2020, following\u00a0Banijay<\/a>\u2019s acquisition of Endemol, the company became part of Banijay Group \u2013 the world\u2019s largest independent production company.<\/p>\n \u201cThat synergy has allowed us to grow, and to this day, we\u2019ve established ourselves as the largest production company in Latin America, producing over 1,000 hours of independent content per year,\u201d says Rinc\u00f3n. EndemolShine Boomdog is behind top-rated series for Telemundo, TelevisaUnivision, Azteca, Imagen and streamers like Amazon Prime and MAX, including huge hits \u201cLa Casa de los Famosos,\u201d \u201cLa Casa de los Famosos Mexico,\u201d \u201cMasterChef Celebrity\u201d and \u201c\u00bfQui\u00e9n es la m\u00e1scara?\u201d<\/p>\n EndemolShine Boomdog Group is now made up of three different production companies in Mexico City: EndemolShine Boomdog, which focuses on producing unscripted shows, scripted content label \u00c1 F\u00e1brica Mexico & U.S. Hispanic and the unscripted label led by Marie Leguizamo, Banijay Mexico and U.S. Hispanic, which launched in 2021.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As CEO of EndemolShine Boomdog Group, Rinc\u00f3n oversees the three labels and sprawling post-production facility Wide Angle alongside Banijay Americas CEO Ben Samek and Laurens Drillich, president of Shine Latino. The latter was instrumental in joining Brazil\u2019s \u00c1 Fabrica with Boomdog for the new scripted label, \u00c1 F\u00e1brica Mexico & U.S. Hispanic.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLaurens Drillich has been a key pillar in the company\u2019s consolidation and growth. His unwavering support, deep understanding of the region and strategic vision have made a lasting impact,\u201d says Rinc\u00f3n, adding: \u201cWith previous experience in the Mexican market, Laurens brings a unique combination of local insight and global perspective, which has been instrumental in driving our business forward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew from experience it was never going to be easy to break into the Mexican and U.S. Hispanic markets as an independent producer. We were not competing with other independent companies, like in other parts of the world. We had to change a\u00a0culture. So, we really needed the right partner,\u201d Drillich relates.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first started talking with Alejandro, I realized that he had the determination, the talent and the ambition to build a big business in both Mexico and the U.S. Hispanic marketplace with us, especially since he loves TV. It makes me proud to see that all we asked for has now actually happened, with three labels across these two territories leading in the region in every way. That\u2019s in a very large part because of Alejandro,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Boomdog Studios span approximately 96,875 square feet (9,000 m\u00b2) and include two studios, each over 10,750 square feet (1,000 m\u00b2) with a height of approximately 39 feet (12 meters). In addition to this, there\u2019s a dedicated post-production facility in Huixquilucan, operating 24\/7 to support continuous productions. Wide Angle opened in 2022 and operates out of an eight-story building in the tony neighborhood of Polanco.<\/p>\n Also located in Polanco, Banijay Mexico & US Hispanic is behind such popular shows as \u201cLOL:\u00a0Last One Laughing\u201d (various iterations in Latam including Mexico and Colombia)\u00a0and \u201cTemptation Island\u201d for Amazon Prime.\u00a0Leguizamo will be attending the\u00a0LA Screenings<\/a>.<\/p>\n The group\u2019s permanent staff consists of 120 people, while its rotating personnel averages around 1,000 people per month.<\/p>\n The scripted team from EndemolShine Boomdog \u2013 behind the breakout HBO Max series \u201cLike Water for Chocolate,\u201d is now in production on its second season.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout a doubt, it is the most important show we have produced. It has the highest budget and is the largest and most successful production we\u2019ve ever done,\u201d says Rinc\u00f3n.<\/p>\n \u201cNo other series has established the same emotional connection with the country as \u2018Like Water for Chocolate,\u2019\u201d he adds, noting that this is the last scripted program under the EndemolShine Boomdog label as A F\u00e1brica Mexico & U.S. Hispanic, led by Luiz Noronha (A F\u00e1brica, Brazil) and Jerry Rodriguez (EndemolShine Boomdog) will lead the new scripted venture and are currently assembling its first development slate.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a company that strives to be as in tune with the market as possible \u2013 listening to the market, listening to our partners, connecting with them, and delivering content that makes sense for them,\u201d Rinc\u00f3n stresses, adding: \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve never set goals based on hours or number of series. Our goals are creative: to find the right projects and to listen to our clients, which is a very important part of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n