Mixed martial arts league Combate Americas is launching its own TV studio, TheWrap has learned exclusively, making it the first MMA organization to start a production company. Veteran foreign film producer Stan Jakubowicz will run La Jaula Studios, which will create content for both linear television and digital platforms.
“Our mission with La Jaula Studios is to tell the bold, untold and unfiltered stories of the real-life heroism behind Combate’s fighters and their communities,” the Hispanic fight league and media company’s president, Jacqueline Hernandez, told TheWrap. “Stan’s proven creative expertise and uncontainable passion for this sport make him a perfect fit to lead La Jaula.”
La Jaula Studios, which will be based in New York, plans to target its content toward Hispanic millennials and Generation Z. Shows and other short-form content will be produced in Spanish, English and Portuguese, which production taking place in Latin America, Brazil, Spain, Portugal and the U.S., among other regions.
La Jaula Studios will offer a variety of programming, including lifestyle-documentary to scripted series, feature films, short-form digital, social and mobile content – and customized, sponsor-branded interstitials that will air during highly-watched Combate Americas live Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) television and digital events. This content will offer brands and advertisers a unique opportunity to connect with Combate Americas’ audience.
Jakubowicz’s film credits include “La Mujer de Mi Hermano,” “The German Doctor,” “Visitantes” and “El Inca.”
He has been Emmy-nominated as a television producer.
Here are La Jaula’s initial projects, with descriptions in the company’s own words:
“Rootas “(working title, pictured above): A docuseries chronicling the lives of six Combate Americas fighters on their journey told first-hand through their eyes. The first episode will feature Mexican MMA superstar Erik “Goyito” Perez, as he heads to an unfamiliar world — Thailand — to train under legendary Muay Thai champion Buakaw Banchamek, a fighter whose unmatched speed and devastating knockout power in the ring has transformed him to one of the most sought-after commodities in the fight world.
“The Real Deal” A major motion picture and docuseries chronicling the life and career of Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, the only female fighter and only Puerto Rican fighter in history to win five world boxing championships in five different weight divisions, as she sets her sights on achieving another unprecedented feat — becoming the first fighter in history to win a major MMA world championship while simultaneously retaining a world boxing title.