Santos Bravos

Santos Bravos is a Latin American reality series produced by Hybe Latin America to form a boy band. The program features 17 contestants from across Latin America, the United States, and Spain, and follows their training and performances in pursuit of making the debut lineup. It premiered in August 2025 across several platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, Vix, and Exa TV, and incorporated interactive fan participation through online voting, social media, and live events. The competition resulted in the formation of the five-member group Santos Bravos.

Concept

Santos Bravos combines Hybe's artist training system with Latin American cultural and artistic influences. The series follows contestants' growth within the company's global production model. Hybe Latin America CEO Isaac Lee stated that the project reflects Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk's vision, balancing local culture and a global perspective while positioning Latin music for future growth.[1] It has been described as both entertainment and "a new movement that unites music, culture and communities, breaking down borders".[2]

Production

Format

Santos Bravos combines documentary storytelling with a competitive structure. It features 16 contestants from countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Spain, and the United States. The participants, aged 15 to 25, were selected from more than 400 auditions. They compete in challenges and training sessions for a place in the final five-member lineup.[2][4] Mentorship is provided by director and choreographer Kenny Ortega, producer Johnny Goldstein, and vocal coach Raab Stevenson. The production team also includes showrunner Jaime Escallón, producer Lucas Jaramillo, director Alejandro Bernal, and Hybe Latin America's head of training and development, Jessica Kwon.[4][5] The series is presented through both interactive content and long-form episodes that provide a behind-the-scenes view of the process.[6]

Promotion

Ahead of its premiere, Santos Bravos was promoted through fan and industry events. Hybe Latin America launched the "Hybe Experience" at its headquarters in Bicentenario Park, Mexico City, on July 17, 2025. Running through October 31, the exhibition served as a preview of the series and a hub for fan engagement,[6] with tickets for the opening day selling out in advance.[2] Additional promotional activities included live music sections with contestants and guest celebrities, behind-the-scenes podcasts, and interactive features allowing fans to participate in lineup decisions.[7] Around the same period, Hybe organized "The Drop," a industry showcase of its Latin American operations that highlighted the show along with its artists and production capabilities. The event attracted more than 150 brand representatives and 100 media outlets.[2]

Broadcast

Santos Bravos premiered on August 14, 2025, on YouTube, followed by a release on Spotify on August 15, and on Vix and Exa TV across Latin America and the United States on August 16. Live performances were scheduled to stream on YouTube starting August 22.[8] Interactive previews for fans were launched on July 17, 2025, in Mexico City, ahead of the televised debut.[6]

genre	Reality television
creator	Jaime Escallón-Buraglia
director	Alejandro Bernal Rueda
creative director	Ruddy Graziani
country	Mexico
language	Spanish English Portuguese
executive producer	Jaime Escallón-Buraglia Lucas Jaramillo Bang Si-hyuk Isaac Lee Kaj Jong-hyun Juan Arenas Kenny Ortega Johnny Goldstein Fernanda Huerta
location	Mexico City, Mexico
company	Hybe Corporation Pulso Design
network	YouTube
first aired	August 14, 2025
last aired	December 11, 2025

Concept

Production

Format

Promotion

Broadcast

Group members

Contestants

Episodes

References