José Antonio Esparza and Ariel López Padilla, founders of the Wahu platform
To continue giving a voice and presence to people and topics without distribution channels, the Wahu platform has launched the documentary series Swingers, its first original production, directed by Digcy Mejías. In an interview with José Antonio Esparza, co-founder, he discussed this project and the platform’s migration to AVOD.
“Many who hear the word ‘swinger’ might think it’s an explicit content series, but it’s not. We aim to communicate and give a voice to all these communities or groups to reflect what they truly are. There are many stigmas around any minority community, and this program aims to inform through real couples who explain their lifestyle,” he said.
As a platform, Wahu is evolving. Esparza mentioned that maintaining a streaming platform has been challenging: “There are high storage costs, maintaining a broadband network for simultaneous viewing, among other things. But we believe many emerging products are worth showing to the public. We’ve gradually found ways, with support from sponsors and advertisers, to transition into streaming and entertainment, making it self-sustainable, and creating a community for more creators to join and share their projects. We are taking the first steps to be seen globally.”
He announced that they are about to launch apps for Android, iOS, and some smart TVs, allowing users to download and access the catalog from any device.
“By the end of 2023, we had over 30,000 users, and now we’re changing our strategy, making the platform free without requiring user accounts. We’re evolving to AVOD so anyone can watch the content without an account. This will greatly enhance our reach, as statistics showed that up to 70% of visitors left when asked to create an account,” he added.
The executive explained that the trend for platforms like Wahu is moving towards AVOD. “Subscription-based platforms are fiercely competing for user retention, with most people unable to pay for more than two subscriptions. Entering this subscriber battle isn’t viable for us, plus we don’t compete with mainstream content. Our content is more cinematic, independent, and controversial, where we can attract a good audience and build a community with filmmakers who resonate with platforms that offer them a chance to showcase their productions globally.”
He emphasized that their goal is to be an open platform with cinematic content (short films, medium-length films, feature films, series, documentaries in any genre) that adheres to rigorous storytelling and filmmaking processes.
Swingers is their first original production, but they are already working on new projects with Cabo Films, which will produce original content for the platform. “We will soon release some documentaries, one about Oaxaca, another about the whale migration from Baja California to Patagonia, one on the wine route, a series with chefs, a feature film with actor Roberto Sosa, and more. As more creators join, we will expand our portfolio and seek resources, both public and private, to continue producing.”
Finally, he shared that they have no issue with these originals being shown on other platforms. “Swingers has generated great interest from more commercial platforms. We don’t aim to be exclusive; rather, if we can be the gateway for these productions to reach other platforms and countries, that would fulfill our company’s objective.”
