The BBC’s commercial arm has announced an expanded deal with Spain’s Movistar Plus+ which will see increased BBC content available on the platform.
Under the new deal, BBC Studios will launch its BBC Player VOD service and additional FAST channels while also recommitting to premium natural history and BBC Earth content acquisitions.
The two companies have worked together for the past decade during which they’ve grown the BBC Earth brand in the region.
BBC Studios operates a host of commercially funded channels and consumer services around the world, including in the UK where it owns and operates the UKTV portfolio of channels.
It also has an extensive production and distribution business which makes and sells content to broadcasters and streaming platforms in all major markets.
Last month saw the introduction of four FAST channels to the Movistar Plus+ channel portfolio drawing on BBC Studios extensive and high-quality catalogue across all genres.
BBC Top Gear and BBC Drama sit alongside BBC Food and BBC History which were specifically curated for Movistar Plus + subscribers.
Under the expanded multi-year agreement, Movistar Plus+ will introduce two further FAST channels later this year.
Alongside the expansion of the BBC Studios FAST channels in Spain, Movistar Plus + will be the launch partners for BBC Player in the region later this year.
The multi-genre BBC branded VOD product will feature up to 1000 hours of curated content from the BBC Studios catalogue, home of the most powerful, entertaining and inspiring stories.
Curated specifically for the Spanish audience, BBC Player will feature a mixture of scripted and unscripted titles. The service will be available to all subscribers to Paquete Movistar+.
Movistar Plus+ will also act as BBC Studios’ advertising sales partner exclusively for the FAST channels inventory on Movistar Plus+ as well as for Player’s VOD advertising when the service launches.
BBC Studios and Movistar Plus+ have also renewed their commitment to a partnership around natural history and factual programming.
Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP – EMEA Key Markets, BBC Studios, said “This expansion of our decade-long relationship demonstrates how BBC Studios is able to respond and adapt to our key partners’ needs and benefit their customers.
“The growth of BBC Player and FAST channels in EMEA is a core part of our strategy, offering complementary products that utilise our broad and high-quality content catalogue and provide opportunities to find new audiences in new markets.
“I’m thrilled that Movistar Plus+ have come on board as a launch partner for BBC Player in Spain alongside their long-established content relationship with us.”
Ismael Calleja, Partnerships Director at Movistar Plus+, added: “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’.