Actor and producer Eva Longoria has partnered with Cris Abrego, her long-time production partner, to establish Hyphenate Media Group. This new media holding company and premium content studio has attracted a strategic investment from Banijay, a prominent production giant known for global shows such as Big Brother, MasterChef, Black Mirror, and Peaky Blinders. This marks Banijay’s entry into the U.S. scripted market. Hyphenate Media Group aims to invest in “creator-led enterprises” in the media sector, as well as develop and produce its own original programming.
To kickstart its production efforts, Hyphenate Media Group has acquired the entire slate of UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, an independent production outfit that Longoria founded in 2005. UnbeliEVAble Entertainment is responsible for creating shows like ABC’s Grand Hotel, NBC’s Telenovela, Netflix’s Emmy Award-nominated documentary Reversing Row, and CNN’s culinary docuseries Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico. These projects will be integrated into Hyphenate, which will continue to develop and produce future shows from the production company. The first project under this new company will be Land of Women, a dramedy based on Sandra Barneda’s best-selling novel, set to air on Apple TV+ next year and starring Longoria.
In their new roles, Abrego will serve as the CEO of Hyphenate Media Group, while Longoria will take on the position of Chief Creative Officer. Both Abrego and Longoria will exclusively produce for the new company, and all television projects directed by Longoria will be produced under the Hyphenate banner. The announcement of Hyphenate Media Group was made at the MIPCOM Cannes, a global TV trade fair, during a keynote presentation about the future of content. They mentioned that negotiations are underway with several key executives and expect to announce their leadership team later this year.
As business partners for the past 20 years, Abrego and Longoria intend to invest in “creator-led enterprises with proven leadership and the potential to scale,” as they grow Hyphenate Media Group’s portfolio. Their model offers “creator-entrepreneurs” the chance to develop their production companies. This includes capital investment, brand development, and collaboration opportunities provided by the Hyphenate’s core leadership team. Their vision for Hyphenate is to become an engine for culture-defining content by investing in visionary multihyphenate artists and offering them the necessary resources and infrastructure to scale their businesses.
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Marco Bassetti, CEO of Banijay, believes that Hyphenate Media Group is the right fit for the international company to establish its presence in the U.S. scripted market. He praises the company for its unique perspective, combining Abrego’s creative leadership with Longoria’s reputation as a producer, director, and activist. Bassetti sees this new venture as a powerful home for “multihyphenate voices” to tell inclusive mainstream stories.
Prior to joining Banijay as Chairman of the Americas, Abrego served as CEO of Endemol Shine Holdings, where he oversaw significant acquisitions such as Endemol Shine Boomdog, Endemol Shine Brasil, and Truly Original. Abrego made his mark as a producer through his co-founding of 51 Minds Entertainment in 2003, pioneering the celeb-reality genre with unscripted formats like The Surreal Life. Longoria, best known for her role in Desperate Housewives, has a diverse portfolio of work as a producer and director. Her feature directorial debut, Flamin’ Hot, depicts the story of the Mexican-American janitor who claims to have invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Additionally, she directed the Sundance documentary La Guerra Civil, exploring the fierce rivalry between boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez in the 1990s.
With Hyphenate Media Group, Eva Longoria and Cris Abrego aim to leverage the creative industry’s multihyphenate talent to meet the demands of audiences and the industry. They intend to provide financial opportunities for makers, creators, talent, and entrepreneurs, emphasizing their importance as essential drivers of the creative enterprise. As the business landscape undergoes transformations, Longoria and Abrego believe this is the opportune time to support creators and develop premium inclusive content with broad appeal and an undeniable point of view.
