It's still the early days of over-the-top television (OTT or Internet TV), which means the field is still wide open for innovation and less-established players can make a splash. One of those new players is TuYo, billed as the first Internet TV service for Latino millennials, built and owned by Latinos, which is set to launch in the coming weeks.

As we've previously reported when DirecTV first introduced its Latino-centric Yaveo subscription service late last year -- officially the first OTT service ever to launch in the U.S. -- the Latino audience is a great market to target the launch of original Internet TV services for at the moment.

As far as cord-cutters or "cord-nevers" go, studies show Latinos over-index for viewing digital streaming content, owning smartphones, and watching video on mobile devices. TuYo will have this going for it when it launches its built-by/built-for-Latinos digital subscription TV startup in July.

Reflecting the bicultural, bilingual nature of its target millennial Latino audience, TuYo will offer both free and paid content, on-demand, in both English and Spanish. Choice is emphasized up front, as users can select from curated channels or create their own from a mix of TuYo's offerings, according to TV industry news outlet MultiChannel News.

Following a later-Netflix model, TuYo will offer a mix of reality shows, gaming, news, telenovelas, sports, movies, scripted series, and documentaries, along with original in-house programing. According to Variety, TuYo has content deals in place with several top-level and startup Latino/Latina entertainment houses, including World of Wonder, Great Glass Productions, and Latin World Entertainment -- Modern Family star Sofia Vergara's content company. It also has other Latin celebrity partners like Frankie J, Don Omar, boxer Fernando Vargas and host Giselle Blondet at the ready.

Speaking of Latin superstars, at the helm of TuYo is founder and CEO Pete Salgado, who was the late Mexican singer Jenni Rivera's manager and executive producer of the viral reality series "I Love Jenni." "TuYo was created to expand the content options for audiences and creators on digital broadcast networks today," said Salgado to MultiChannel.

"We have cultivated the best in programming and entertainment in Spanish and English, creating an opportunity for new and established talent and production partners to showcase the best in one-of-a-kind content serving an immediate viewing audience," he added. "We know that we have created a vital platform that delivers the best in unique bilingual content to a marketplace that has been waiting for this mix in one of the most-discussed platforms."


That platform, of course, is OTT or Internet TV, and TuYo won't be launching to a market that's devoid of competition for Latino audiences. Besides Yaveo, the OTT service that set off the whole race this year, second-to-market and most prominent Internet TV service Sling TV (by DISH Network) has been adding English and Spanish-language Latino content at a rapid clip ever since its launch in February. And Sling TV has the unique advantage with its early partnership with the king of all Latino media content, Univision.

Also stepping into the ring with its own Latino content subscription service this summer is Pongalo, brainchild of Jorge Granier -- of the RCTV telenovela empire and producer of the well-known crossover Latino comedy "Jane the Virgin."

Which Internet TV services can stick it out for the long haul remains to be seen, but this summer is one of promising beginnings for savvy Latinos looking for entertainment online.