El Rey Network
El Rey Network is an English-language entertainment TV and digital network founded in 2012 by Robert Rodriguez, offering genre and Latino-infused original programming distributed via cable, satellite, and streaming to U.S. viewers under Univision.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What El Rey Network does
El Rey Network is an English-language entertainment television and digital network founded in 2012 by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and operating as El Rey Network LLC under New York jurisdiction. The business operates a linear cable/satellite channel distributed primarily through Univision (its core distribution partner and operational counterparty, handling sales, legal notices, and DMCA correspondence) and supplemented by direct-to-consumer streaming via its website elreynetwork.com; service is geographically restricted to the United States.
The product surface is an original programming slate curated by Rodriguez, including Lucha Underground (a wrestling/lucha libre series), The Director's Chair (filmmaker interviews with Carpenter, Coppola, Mann, Miller, and Tarantino), Man At Arms: Art of War, Rebel Without a Crew, Day 5, Crunch Time, United Tacos of America, Maria, and The Chuey Martinez Show, alongside acquired genre, cult, action, and horror/sci-fi films. The People's Network is a submission platform inviting independent filmmakers to send in original short films for potential broadcast. Headcount is reported at 51-100 employees with a single headquarters at 605 Third Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY.
Revenue is generated through two streams: television advertising sold across programming blocks, and recurring distribution fees from cable and satellite carriage partners (with Univision as the named core partner). No venture capital or public equity funding has been disclosed; the company operates as a privately held subsidiary under Univision Communications, with Robert Rodriguez serving as founder and curator of artistic direction.
El Rey Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- El Rey Network
- Legal name
- El Rey Network LLC
- Website
- https://elreynetwork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- El Rey Network is an English-language entertainment TV and digital network founded in 2012 by Robert Rodriguez, offering genre and Latino-infused original programming distributed via cable, satellite, and streaming to U.S. viewers under Univision.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where El Rey Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
El Rey Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Television Advertising: The network generates revenue through advertising sold during its programming blocks. El Rey displays advertisements for its own shows and likely third-party advertisers.
- Distribution Partnerships: Revenue generated through distribution deals with cable and satellite providers, including distribution partners mentioned in the Privacy Policy.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
El Rey Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
El Rey Network operates a 24-hour English-language entertainment television network founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. The network produces and broadcasts original programming series spanning wrestling (Lucha Underground), action, horror, sci-fi, comedy, food/travel, talk shows, and documentary formats, complemented by curated iconic feature films and cult classics. Distribution is through cable and satellite providers as well as direct streaming on elreynetwork.com.
Product overview
El Rey Network is an English-language entertainment television brand founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. The network operates as a linear cable/satellite TV channel featuring a portfolio of original programming series including wrestling (Lucha Underground), documentary/interview shows (The Director's Chair), reality competition (Rebel Without a Crew), genre dramas (Day 5, Crunch Time), food/travel (United Tacos of America), and talk shows (The Chuey Martinez Show, Vampiro: Unleashed). The network also features a content submission platform called The People's Network Showcase for independent filmmakers. Programming spans multiple genres including action, horror, sci-fi, comedy, and documentary content with a focus on Latino-infused storytelling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The People's Network: Filmmaker showcase platform where independent filmmakers can submit original short films for potential television broadcast
Products and services
- Lucha Underground El Rey's original wrestling series featuring high-flying lucha libre action in a gritty battleground called 'The Temple,' spanning multiple seasons with championship storylines for general entertainment viewers.
- The Director's Chair Original interview special series in which Robert Rodriguez interviews iconic directors including John Carpenter, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, George Miller, and Quentin Tarantino about the craft of filmmaking, aimed at film enthusiasts and aspiring creators.
- Man At Arms: Art of War Original series starring Danny Trejo in which expert craftsmen reproduce iconic weapons from movies, video games, comics, and TV, then test them in real-world applications, targeting genre and pop-culture audiences.
- Rebel Without a Crew Original reality/competition series following five aspiring filmmakers attempting to shoot their own feature-length film in two weeks with a budget of only $7,000, mirroring founder Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi journey, targeted at aspiring independent filmmakers.
- Day 5 Original post-apocalyptic drama series in which a meth addict awakens to find most of the world died in their sleep, then teams with survivors to search for answers, aimed at genre drama viewers.
- Crunch Time Original comedy thriller series about four grad students whose reckless science experiment creates a world-ending black hole in their college lab, aimed at comedy and sci-fi viewers.
- The People's Network Showcase Original submission-driven content platform where independent filmmakers can submit their work directly for potential broadcast on El Rey Network, founded on Robert Rodriguez's $7,000-budget ethos and aimed at independent creators seeking television distribution.
- United Tacos of America Original food and travel series following taco journalists Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece exploring taco life and culture across America, targeted at food and Latino culture enthusiasts.
- The Camacho Experiment Original action/stunt programming series positioned by the network as 'the most dangerous show on television,' aimed at genre and extreme entertainment audiences.
- Genre Graveyard Original programming block covering horror, science fiction, monsters, action, and kung fu content, targeted at genre entertainment enthusiasts.
Companies that use El Rey Network
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
El Rey Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
El Rey Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- UnivisioncoreUnivision is referenced as El Rey Network's distribution partner. The sales contact ([email protected]) and legal address (c/o Univision at 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY) indicate a close operational relationship. The Privacy Policy mentions sharing information with 'satellite and cable distribution partners' including Univision.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
El Rey Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Syfy: Syfy is a US cable channel specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and genre entertainment with original scripted programming. It is the closest direct peer to El Rey given its comparable genre/late-night young-adult positioning and original-series + acquired film library mix.
- IFC (AMC Networks): IFC is a US cable network built around independent film, cult content, and alternative comedy, plus original programming such as Portlandia. Its indie/genre cultural curation echoes El Rey's Robert Rodriguez-curated model and its reliance on a definitional founder/curator voice.
- Pop TV: Pop TV (formerly TV Guide Network) is a smaller US cable channel positioning itself around genre entertainment, cult hits, and pop-culture commentary. Comparable to El Rey as a mid-sized sub-network chasing niche, multi-platform audiences rather than mass broadcast scale.
- Fuse (formerly NuvoTV): Fuse is a US cable channel focused on music, youth, and Latino multicultural audiences; its predecessor NuvoTV was explicitly positioned as English-language Latino entertainment before the rebrand. This is a historically comparable cable peer with similar audience and multicultural-advertising dynamics.
- Chiller: Chiller was an NBCUniversal-owned US cable network dedicated to horror, sci-fi, and thriller genre programming, comparable to El Rey's Genre Graveyard block and overall horror/sci-fi curation. It is a useful historical peer for how a genre-focused small cable channel positions and ultimately winds down.
Broad incumbents
- Galavisión: Galavisión is Univision's flagship Spanish-language cable network and El Rey's direct sister channel under the same parent. It is the most operationally comparable peer given shared ownership, sales infrastructure, and overlapping Latino audience intent, although it operates in Spanish rather than English.
- UniMás: UniMás is another Univision-owned US broadcast/cable network targeting Hispanic audiences with sports, series, and movies. As a fellow Univision property serving Latino viewers, it shares parent-company ad sales and distribution dynamics with El Rey despite different language and genre emphasis.
- Esquire Network: Esquire Network was a Hearst/NBCUniversal joint-venture US cable channel built around a single brand/franchise and niche lifestyle originals. Comparable to El Rey as a small, brand-anchored cable channel that ultimately sunset linear distribution.
Regional players
- Cinelatino: Cinelatino is a US-distributed Spanish-language movie cable channel showcasing Latin American and Hispanic cinema. Although Spanish-language, it is comparable to El Rey's film-licensing + original-programming mix targeting Latino households on cable.
Emerging players
- Crunchyroll (Sony): Crunchyroll is a leading niche digital video platform built on genre content (anime) and Latin-Hispanic community overlap with lucha libre/cultural programming. It is an emerging peer signaling how niche genre content can scale digitally in a way that linear cable peers like El Rey are still adapting to.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
El Rey Network social profiles
Digital presenceEl Rey Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
El Rey Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
El Rey Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
El Rey Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about El Rey Network
What does El Rey Network do?
El Rey Network operates a 24-hour English-language entertainment television network founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. The network produces and broadcasts original programming series spanning wrestling (Lucha Underground), action, horror, sci-fi, comedy, food/travel, talk shows, and documentary formats, complemented by curated iconic feature films and cult classics. Distribution is through cable and satellite providers as well as direct streaming on elreynetwork.com.
Is El Rey Network a public or private company?
El Rey Network is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was El Rey Network founded?
El Rey Network was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is El Rey Network based?
El Rey Network is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does El Rey Network make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Television Advertising is the primary driver. The others are distribution Partnerships.
Who are El Rey Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Syfy, IFC (AMC Networks), Pop TV, Fuse (formerly NuvoTV) and Chiller. Broad incumbents are Galavisión, UniMás and Esquire Network. Cinelatino is listed as a regional player. Crunchyroll (Sony) is listed as an emerging player.
Does El Rey Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for El Rey Network.