NBC Universal’s Hispanic cable network mun2 transitions to become NBC UNIVERSO – the company’s modern general entertainment cable channel for Latinos – on Sunday, February 1, the day it airs the exclusive Spanish-language telecast of Super Bowl XLIX. NBC UNIVERSO viewers who subscribe to DIRECTV will be able to view all of the network’s programming – including Super Bowl XLIX – in HD, as the satellite provider is now offering HD carriage of the channel. DIRECTV is the first Pay TV provider to offer NBC UNIVERSO in HD, and the network continues to have conversations with all of its distributor partners.

NBC UNIVERSO is also announcing new programming beginning on February 1, and through the winter and spring seasons.

“We’ve promised Latinos high-quality programming, masterful storytelling and the best sports presented in culturally relevant ways,” said Rubén Mendiola, president, NBC UNIVERSO. “Our new programming is just the first step in delivering on this promise to our Latino viewers, as well as building a rich platform for distributors and advertisers to reach an important portion of the population with growing influence.”

On its debut day, NBC UNIVERSO will start its new era with the airing of “Bienvenidos a NBC UNIVERSO”, a half-hour special that gives viewers a sneak peak into the programming, and a taste of what’s to come, on NBC UNIVERSO. The special will air at 1 a.m. ET, and again immediately after Super Bowl XLIX.

After the post-game airing of “Bienvenidos a NBC UNIVERSO”, the network will air a special preview of its first new acquired series of the re-launched network. Called “Crónica de Castas”, this nine-episode fictional drama series was filmed in the small, impoverished neighborhood of Tepito in Mexico City, and follows the lives of polarizing characters whose stories revolve around the local Hotel Galicia. Nothing is as it seems in “Crónica de Castas,” as the series deeply explores these complex characters and all the secrets they hide. This is the Pay TV debut of the series in the U.S., which will run in full later this winter.

In line with its mission to bring Latinos must-see live events with a Latin flavor, and continuing its delivery of hot music offerings, NBC UNIVERSO will telecast “Festival Viña del Mar” – the greatest music festival in Latin America, featuring some of the most-renowned artists in the world. Live from Chile, the 2015 Festival Viña Del Mar will be seen in the U.S. exclusively on NBC UNIVERSO. The excitement begins on Feb. 22, streaming online at nbcuniverso.com; details regarding its TV telecast will be announced at a later date.

Finally, a staple of NBC UNIVERSO’s program lineup the past two years, the network is pleased to announce that international Latin icon and star of the network’s #1 series “Larrymania,” Larry Hernandez will come back to the network beginning spring 2015. “Larrymania” kicks off season four with the multi-award winning artist’s never-ending attempt to balance his life as a father, son, partner and high profile celebrity. With more than 7 million active fans on social media and a non-stop multi-city concert tour, this season will bring more adventures, drama and surprises.

In addition to cutting-edge entertainment, NBC UNIVERSO continues to deliver top sports franchises telecast with a Latin flavor. Along with the NFL, the network is in the midst of airing more than 100 matches of the Premier League 2014-15 season. The exciting sports action continues throughout the balance of the year, including four FIFA World Cups in 2015: Men’s FIFA U-20 World Cup, hosted by New Zealand from May 29 to June 19; FIFA Women’s World Cup™ played in Canada from June 6 to July 5; Men’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup hosted by Portugal from July 9 to July 19; and FIFA U-17 World Cup played in Chile from October 17 to November 8. NBC UNIVERSO also will exclusively showcase WWE programming hits “WWE Raw” and “WWE Smackdown” in Spanish; The NASCAR Mexico Series, which starts on March 13 with the first of 15 races; and next year, The Rio 2016 Olympic Games.