Estrella Media ups Santaella to streaming boss

René Santaella

Spanish-language media company Estrella Media has announced the promotion of René Santaella to the role of chief digital and streaming officer.

Santaella, previously EVP digital and streaming media, helped launch Estrella’s streaming and AVOD platforms. Since joining in October 2020, he has overseen the launch of the EstrellaTV App in 2021, has introduced four FAST channels, and has negotiated partner agreements with companies including Roku, Amazon,Vizio and Xumo.

Prior to Estrella Media, Santaella served as SVP, head of ad sales and business operations at Sony Pictures Television Digital Networks where he led the growth of Crackle. 

Peter Markham, CEO of Estrella Media, said: “Since joining our team, René has been hyper-focused on creating and building a dominant streaming and on-demand digital content business. In less than two years, we have grown into a market leader, hitting over 1 billion streaming minutes viewed across our platforms. We are a leader in FAST and streaming audio for Spanish-language content and a compelling content option for audiences in the U.S. and around the world. We are re-imagining the Spanish-language digital landscape, and René is an important part of the company’s continued growth and transformation.”

Santaella said: “I’m truly excited to continue to drive digital growth and innovation in the Spanish-language marketplace and build free ad-supported streaming content options for our Estrella Media audiences. It is an audience that demands more attention and investment from the advertising and entertainment industries and to be able to lead this effort during such a transformative time is inspiring. From news to digital-first series to streaming live video and audio, we are just scratching the surface of how our audience is entertained and informed.”