U.S. HISPANIC Versión en español
Canela Media’s Michael Rafferty: Tech investment sets us apart
Maribel Ramos-Weiner| 17 de mayo de 2024
Michael Rafferty, COO at Canela Media, announced a partnership with Diana Films for the restoration of over 100 classic Mexican films
As Canela Media celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2024, COO Michael Rafferty beams about the company’s substantial investment in technology.
“At Canela Media, we’ve made a multi-million dollar investment to completely revamp our technology infrastructure, from the user interface to the back-end and AI-powered contextual advertising,” Michael Rafferty said at the Upfront lunch held at AVRA restaurant in New York. “This will not only empower our content operations team with a comprehensive media supply chain suite but also delight users with features like contextualized advertising – think commercials relevant to the scene you just watched.”
He also mentioned Canela Rewards, the rewards program that Canela is introducing for users which should be running by the end of the year. “All of these investments are intended to provide a better user experience,” he said.
THIRD SEASON OF SECRETOS DE VILLANA
On the content front, Rafferty highlighted the upcoming third season of the fan-favorite series Secretos de Villanas, with filming already completed and interviews in final production. The highly anticipated season is slated to premiere later this year.
He also announced an exciting partnership with Diana Films for the restoration of over 100 classic Mexican films. “This is a meticulous process,” Rafferty explained, “as some of these films are still in nitrate and require careful handling from museum archives. Many haven’t been seen in over 40 years. We’re thrilled to release them in stages starting this June, offering audiences a chance to rediscover these cinematic gems.”
Regarding the co-production between MARCA and Canela for a special event and award ceremony for Lionel Messi that will take place at the end of May in Miami, Rafferty indicated that it will be something big.
Canela boasts a robust content creation engine, fueled by its studios in Mexico, Rafferty noted. Here, they churn out a daily dose of entertainment and news shows, alongside three action-packed sports shows per week. The excitement continues with upcoming announcements, including a new sports show presenter and a fresh face anchoring Canela News. Additionally, the highly anticipated lifestyle program, Café con Canela, will be filmed primarily in Mexico, possibly with US shoots. He further emphasized Canela’s commitment to original content, revealing their impressive annual output of roughly 5,000 hours.
Shifting gears to Canela Kids, he highlighted the upcoming release of four exciting new SuperEllas episodes to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
