Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has deepened its reach in Latin America with a trio of K‑drama distribution deals across Mexico’s top TV networks. By placing a raft of Korean titles with Imagen Televisión, Televisa Univision and TV Azteca — all airing in prime-time K‑drama slots — the partnerships underscore the surging global appeal of commercial Korean storytelling that CJ ENM has championed for more than a decade. Latin America, in particular, continues to expand its position as one of the most enthusiastic markets for K‑dramas outside of Asia.
“The deals with Imagen Televisión, Televisa Univision, and TV Azteca exactly define what CJ ENM is aiming for in terms of global expansion — making K‑content become a part of mainstream cultures,” said Sebastian Kim, VP of CJ ENM’s International Content Business Department. He added that these are just the first of several planned moves in the region.
Unveiled to The Hollywood Reporter during APOS — the Asia-Pacific media and entertainment summit held this week in Bali — the agreements mark an escalation in K‑drama’s mainstream reach across Mexican airwaves.
The pact with Imagen Televisión was the first of the three to come together. Since April, the network has been airing a broad selection of CJ ENM titles, including popular romantic dramas such as Familiar Wife, Oh My Baby, Mr. Queen, Emergency Couple, Another Miss Oh, and Yumi’s Cells.
The partnerships with Televisa Univision and TV Azteca are more recent additions, both of which will significantly broaden Mexican audiences’ access to K-drama content, CJ says.
Televisa Univision is set to broadcast K-drama favorites Guardian: The Great and Lonely God (also known as Goblin), starring Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun, and Lovely Runner, featuring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon, via its Canal 5 channel. CJ ENM and Televisa Univision first collaborated last year on the release of True Beauty, starring Mun Ka-young and Cha Eun-woo, which debuted on Canal 5 in September. The series was the first Korean drama to air in a prime-time slot on the channel—and it struck a chord. According to the companies, True Beauty has since returned for a second broadcast, which is currently outperforming its initial run.
The agreement with TV Azteca is geared toward showcasing a wider array of genres to Mexican viewers. The Korean titles will be featured in a newly established “K-7” programming block airing on the Azteca 7 channel. Among the exclusive offerings for the block are the romantic fantasy series Hotel Del Luna and The Heavenly Idol, the crime thriller Flower of Evil, and the romantic drama Touch Your Heart.
“The stories and emotions delivered by Korean productions have built a loyal and passionate audience,” said Sergio Riva Palacio Valdés, TV Azteca’s director of marketing and advertising. “From epic romances to thrillers, these dramas have moved beyond being a niche phenomenon to have global impact.”