WarnerMedia Latin America announced Rios is leaving his role as Corporate VP of Original Production at the network, while Peraza will step down as President of Networks.
WarnerMedia Latin America has announced today that Roberto Rios, Corporate Vice President of Original Production for HBO Latin America, will be leaving the company effective February 20, 2021.
In addition, the group announced Luis F. Peraza, President of Networks for HBO Latin America, will be leaving the company effective February 28, 2021.
Rios joined HBO in 1994 as a programming executive and the first employee in Brazil, where he helped launch the company locally. He later assumed the role of Vice President of Acquisitions and Programming, and went on to become head of Original Production for the brand in the region. Over the past 27 years, he managed and participated in the acquisition of broadcasting rights for thousands of films and programs, as well as in the production of over 800 hours of local original content that aired via the HBO and Cinemax signals throughout Latin America and the rest of the world.
Rios became one of the pioneers of premium content production in Latin America, recognizing the need for innovative programming with stories that appeal to local audiences, reflecting the regional characteristics through the recognized quality of HBO’s original productions. Since then, HBO Latin America’s Original Productions have received over 110 awards, including an International Emmy®, as well as many nominations.
Rios led the development and production of several HBO Latin America originals, including groundbreaking series, documentaries, and specials, such as the awarded productions Epitafios, Capadocia, Mandrake, Prófugos, The Hypnotist, The Bronze Garden, Psy, Santos Dumont, The Business, Magnífica 70, Joint Venture, Greg News With Gregório Duvivier, Refavela 40, Babel Sp, Clubversão Latino, and the International Emmy® winner Sr. Ávila.
Tomás Yankelevich, Chief Content Officer, GE, WarnerMedia Latin America, said: “Beto has helped HBO achieve many firsts in our region, and his contributions to the industry are memorable. He has laid the groundwork for our company to continue to build upon and we want to recognize his passion and commitment to the regional production in Latin America. We wish him all the best in his next phase and hope we can continue to collaborate together in future projects.”
“By providing the space where creative minds could show fresh ideas, develop new formats, and take creative risks to build stories that connect to the audience in the region, I wanted to create an environment where quality and creative freedom served as a magnet for talent, attracting some of the best actors, screenwriters, directors and production companies to partner with us,” said Roberto Rios. “I feel very fortunate to have helped HBO make a difference in the Latin American industry, and will treasure these stories forever.”
Peraza is part of the founding team that launched HBO in Latin America in 1991 and is a pioneer of the audiovisual industry in the region, having been responsible for the development of the first premium local content in the market, investing in original programming and discovering new talent. Since then, Peraza was responsible for the production of more original content than any other premium entertainment subscription-based service in the region, with early productions such as EPITAFIOS and MANDRAKE, award-winning series such as the International Emmy® award recipient SR. ÁVILA, International Emmy®-nominated titles such as SONS OF CARNIVAL, CAPADOCIA, PRÓFUGOS, PSY, THE BRONZE GARDEN, and hundreds of hours of series, movies, documentaries and animation specials that were broadcast in Latin America and the rest of the world.
In 2014, Peraza assumed the role of President of Networks for HBO Latin America and was responsible for overseeing Original Productions, Content Acquisitions, Programming and On-Air, Creative Services, Consumer Marketing and Research, and Communications for all owned and operated networks of the group.
Whit Richardson, President, WarnerMedia Latin America, said: “Luis is an industry giant who helped shape the Latin American media business. We are deeply thankful for his leadership and his vision to bring HBO to the highest levels of recognition in our region.”
“As a member of the founding team of HBO in Latin America, I am very proud to have helped launch the service 30 years ago and shaped it to its current state. This has been such a great journey, and I am thankful to so many talented co-workers and colleagues who have joined in this enterprise”, says Luis Peraza. “I wish them the very best in continuing to position our company and our brand as a favorite in the region.”
