Spain’s Movistar Plus+ to launch BBC Studios streamer

BBC Studios is to launch its streaming service BBC Player into Spain later this year, following a deal with Movistar Plus+.

The agreement, which is part of an expanded partnership between the two companies, will see Movistar Plus+ become the launch partner for BBC Player in Spain, offering around 1,000 hours of shows including The Louis Theroux Interviews, Simon Reeve’s South America and Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job.

It will also premiere future commissions of Father Brown and Paradise brand titles, Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise. The service will be available to all subscribers to Paquete Movistar+.

BBCS is also planning to roll out two new FAST channels via Movistar Plus+ in Spain later this year, building on the launch of BBC Top Gear, BBC Drama, BBC Food and BBC History, which were specifically curated for Movistar Plus+.

Movistar Plus+ will also act as BBCS’s advertising sales partner exclusively for the FAST channels inventory, as well as for Player’s VOD advertising when the service launches.

The two companies have also renewed their natural history and factual programming deal, which will see a continuation of a dedicated BBC Earth branded block on Movistar Plus+. It includes shows such as Blue Planet III.

Arran Tindall, BBCS’s chief commercial officer, exec vice president of EMEA Key Markets, said the expansion of BBC Player and FAST channels in the region is “a core part of our strategy” that provides “opportunities to find new audiences in new markets.”

Janet Brown, president of global content sales at BBCS, added: “This expanded agreement offers even more ways to connect and entertain audiences in the region with the content they love and deserve.”

Ismael Calleja, partnerships director at Movistar Plus+, said: “The expansion of our partnership with BBC Studios demonstrates Movistar Plus+’s commitment to quality content that is valuable to our customers. In addition to premium content from the likes of BBC Earth and new series such as Blue Lights, we are incorporating up to six new BBC channels and launching the BBC Player service with its on-demand catalogue in Spain for the first time, which all our customers will be able to enjoy.

“In a market saturated with audiovisual offerings, Movistar Plus+ continues to be committed to excellence as a differentiating factor and in this sense we are very satisfied to have BBC Studios as a strategic partner’.