Neon16’s Lex Borrero, Tommy Mottola & Range Media Partners Form Ntertain; Media Company To Lean In On Latin Content

Mike Fleming Jr
·4 min read
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Neon16 co-founder Lex Borrero, music mogul Tommy Mottola and Range Media Partners have formed Ntertain, a new media company that will focus on creating, developing, and producing content across multiple platforms, telling Latin stories and launching talent, brands and culture.

Borrero’s Neon16 has been a juggernaut in the Latin music industry since its inception forming in 2019. Among its chart-topping crossover hits are the Grammy nominated single Un Dia by J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy; Dakiti by Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez; and Kali Uchi’s Telepatia; the company exec produced the Selena Gomez t album, Revelacion and Paramount’s Spongebob: Sponge on the Run movie soundtrack, which generated the summer hit, Agua.

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Mottola has guided the careers of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith and Will Smith, and helped create an infusion of Latin music since the ’90s, breaking artists from Gloria Estefan to Ricky Martin, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and Marc Anthony. Borrero and Mottola have been working on multiple music and entertainment ventures aimed at bringing Latin music and culture to a global audience. The new venture was hatched when Borrero, Mottola and Neon16’s Head of Creative Ivan Rodriguez, saw an opportunity to really lean in on a company that could help artists succeed on multiple platforms. They aligned with Range, which formed last year to manage talent, produce, and generate business like this one, geared to succeed on a global level.

Ntertain will be based in Miami, headed by Borerro and Mottola in partnership with Range Media Partners and its CEO, Peter Micelli. Borrero will continue to serve as President at multimedia and talent incubator powerhouse Neon16, which he co-founded with Billboard’s #1 Latin producer and songwriter Tainy, who joins Ntertain as a partner.

“There is a giant hole in the market for a group of people and a company that is connected to the culture the way we are,” Mottola told Deadline. “We think there is a wide opportunity since the global market is so occupied by Latin music and content. The lack of programming to the general market, makes this a golden opportunity. Particularly for us, with my background and experience in the general market and the Latino market, and Lex’s connection to the Latin market with Neon16 having all the biggest hits. Using our connection to that culture, we will create content that will not only serve the Latino culture, but will become general market programming across the board. Connecting that in partnership with Peter Micelli and Range and their list of stars, we feel we have the opportunity to be disruptive and differentiate ourselves from anyone else in the market right now.”

Borrero said they believe the voracious Latin audience is being under-served in storytelling.

“We saw a lot of content, a lot of stories not being told,” Borrero told Deadline. “At Neon16, we were being pitched to be part of content that didn’t feel organic to us and I wanted to engage in creating premiere content, and telling so many of the stories that haven’t been told. My relationship and friendship with Tommy, who’s one of the most influential and connected people I’ve met, and the understanding of how to treat our culture with respect and evolve it to global pop culture, I think there is no one who has done it like he has. With Peter Micelli and Range, we wanted to make sure we didn’t come into Hollywood without the arm and strength of who we thought was the best of the best.”

Said Micelli in a statement: “Range Media Partners are thrilled to be joining forces with Lex & Tommy, two luminary culture creators who are transforming the entertainment business. Lex is a maverick executive in the Latin music & content space and Tommy is an indelible titan. We are so proud to put our collective experience together to support exceptional Latin talent in creating and shaping culture through music and storytelling. The Ntertain partnership speaks right to the essential mission and vision of Range Media Partners, and the kind of industry change we hope to help facilitate.”

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