Verizon debuts Viva! Vision and Sorpresa!

Verizon Wireless today premiered Viva! Vision, the Latino youth-themed V Cast mobile TV channel the carrier first announced in mid-September, as well as Sorpresa!, a Spanish-language channel aimed at children between the ages of two and 12.

The bilingual Viva! Vision will court the thriving Latino subscriber demographic with original entertainment and lifestyle programming including Viva! Music (videos, artist interviews and club spotlights), Viva! Scene (styles, trends and fashions) and Viva! Comedy (standup and sketch performances). "The targeted and relevant content we offer combined with our deep understanding of the Latino community and the outstanding quality of our video technology makes Viva! Vision the best choice for the hip Latino community," Viva! Vision vice president and general manager Nick Montes said in a prepared statement.

Sorpresa!, owned by media company Firestone Communications, will broadcast cartoons, quiz shows and related content designed to educate youth viewers as well as offer culturally relevant programming. The initial programming slate includes the animated "Kitty's Paradise," the interactive game show "Cachuereos" and the instructional "Sabias Que?"

Between the Sprint and MobiTV Spanish-language channel En Vivo launched in May and the Hispanic-targeted MVNO Picante Movil announced just last week, the race to capture the Latino market is officially on. Given the potential of that market--according to Scarborough Research, Latinos pay an average of $67 per month for wireless services, $7 more per month than the general U.S. population--the outcome should go far in determining the overall picture of the mobile content landscape.

For more on the Viva! Vision launch:
- read this release

For more on Sorpresa!:
- read this release