As other major European broadcasters, Spain’s Atresmedia is making a large bet on its VOD content offer, focused around the high-profile streaming service Atresplayer, which ambitiously re-launches July 5.
Just until a few years ago, European TV giants treated their streaming operations to bedrock linear lineups. Those days have gone. At Annecy, BBC and France Télévisions were talking up their streaming services as their future. ITV and Germany’s RTL are bowing their biggest plays on OTT operations, ITVX and RTL+, respectively, powering up strong subscriptions’ hikes.
Belgium’s VRT currently estimates “almost a 50/50 split” in its acquisitions budget as it focusing on “finding unique series that viewers wouldn’t expect from a public broadcaster for its streaming service,” Sven Van Lokeren, head of international fiction series acquisition at Belgium’s VRT told Variety at February’s London TV Screenings.
In Spain, leading broadcaster Atresmedia is no exception. Atresplayer represents an energetic drive to create streaming revenues as a significant part of its business model.
Pursuing what it calls a 360-degree hyper-distribution strategy 360º with its content at the center of its business, it is looking to grow extending its economic life and reaching wider audiences.
“Each content we create or acquire, we try to exploit it in the maximum number of windows to obtain the maximum volume of income we can generate,” said Atresmedia content director, José Antonio Antón, after Atresmedia had unveiled its Atresplayer reboot.
Antón highlighted two examples. The Spanish version of primetime entertainment format “The Voice,” which kicked off live on Atresmedia’s free-to-air channel Antena 3, then had a catch-up run and ended up on Atresplayer’s subscription service.
Toplining Elena Rivera, TV drama “Alba,” the Spanish adaptation of Turkish mega-hit “Fatmagul,” took a different route being pre-released on Atresplayer, then broadcast in Antena 3 primetime, before segueing to catch-up and being finally sold to Netflix.
From July 5, Atresmedia will unites its free and pay TV models under the Atresplayer brand, aiming to reinforce both the free and pay options of its OTT service. It’s also launching a new design, adding 10 new fast channels, and powering up its content with a strong line-up of premieres scheduled for the coming months, begun with “Nights at Tefia,” presented at Conecta Fiction.
Nights in Tefía
Courtesy of Atresmedia
Fiction series “Veneno,” “Cardo” and “La ruta” have been often praised by critics and awards. Atresplayer has just announced a dozen new Atresplayer Originals only available on its premium paid-for service.
FAST channels are now growing outside the U.S, with 11% of Spaniards having used a FAST channel in the last month, according to an Ampere Analysis study presented at Conecta Fiction.
We are going to incorporate a new package of FAST channels based on brands and genres. Our goal is not so much to offer 150 channels, but to be selective and have high-quality live channels,” Antón said.
Atresplayer already offers access to all the contents of Atresmedia’s TV channels family. Now, it is adding four new themed services: Clásicos Atresplayer, with episodes of legendary Atresmedia’s series; Multicine Atresplayer, including the broadcaster’s deep TV movies catalogue; Comedia Atresplayer, with episodes of hit in-house sitcoms, and Mentes Inquietas, with social and world programming.
Further new FAST channels take in more specific contents, for example, turning around successful productions such as TV series “Aquí no hay quién viva” and leading access primetime show “El hormiguero.”
Launched in 2013, Atresplayer transformed into a subscription VOD service in 2019. Today, the OTT service boasts standout, promising figures: 540,000 subscribers and 5 million users.
“Market studies say we have plenty of room for growth. We are the complementary local platform and our price point is attractive, with a general platform offer and original content,” Antón argued.
In terms of growing expectations, Atresplayer eyes RTL+ model in Germany.
“RTL+ is well over 4 million subscribers, in a country that almost doubles Spain in population. If we are able to achieve what RTL+ has done, it would not be crazy to stand at 2 million,” he estimated.
“We are at 540,000 subscribers and our growth plan is moderate. The most important thing for us – and it has been from the beginning – is that we want a plan for continuous growth,” he concludes.
The 12 new Atresplayer Originals, all produced by Atresmedia TV:
“La Nueva Generación”
A reboot of Atresmedia’s legendary “Física y Química,” a harder-edged high-school series running 2008-11, written by “Elite’s” Carlos Montero, and addressing frontally adolescents’ problems – alcoholism, drugs, homophobia, unwanted pregnancy. Telemundo reversiones the show as “Relaciones Peligrosas.” This time round, the Zurburán Institute reopens after being burnt to the ground, accepting over-spill from highly-contrasting other high-schools. Produced by Atresmedia TV and Boomerang TV (“Alba,” “The Time in Between”).
“Piraña”
If Ken Loach had made a trans drama, you could imagine Paca la Piraña figuring largely. For decades, those in need in Spain’s LGBTQ community have found support from her. Thrust into the limelight in “Veneno,” where she plays herself as Veneno’s best friend, the inimitable Paca la Piraña now gets a series centred on her very much lived life, which looks set to close the trilogy begun by “Veneno” and continued with its soon-to-bow sequel Vestidas de Azul,” produced like “Piraña” by Suma Content, the Madrid-based label of Los Javis, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, “Veneno” writer-director-producers.
“A Muerte”
Veronica Echegui (“Trust,” “You’re Killing Me Susana”) and Joan Amargós (“Nasdrovia”) head the star-crossed love story between a man diagnosed with cancer of the heart and a commitment-averse woman, who discovers she’s pregnant. The latest from Dani de la Orden (“Crazy About Her,” “Elite”). Atresmedia produces with Sábado Películas, DeAPlaneta and Playtime Movies
“Un Nuevo Amanecer”
Comedian Yolanda Ramos, star of Filmax hit “Welcome to the Family,” plays an on-the-slide TV personality and addict in desperate need of rehab. But she can only afford a public-sector low-cost Un Nuevo Amenecer. Created and co-directed by José Corbacho (“Tapas”) and produced with ESpotlight.
“Una Vida Menos en Canarias”
An episodic procedural set in the Canary Islands, produced by Cesar Benítez’s Plano a Plano and created by Fran Carballal (“Toy Boy”), Enrique Lojo (“Toy Boy”) and Curro Royo (“Hernán”).
“Mariliendre”
A second new title from Suma Content, created by Javier Ferreiro in which Meri Román, a former queen of Madrid’s gay scene, who, 10 years later, reconnects with gay friends attempting to find a sense of identity.
“La Sombra de la Tierra”
1896: Two matriarchs face off for control of a benighted village in Zamora’s mountains in a series with undertones of a Western adapted by actor Elvira Mínguez from her debut novel. Atresmedia TV produces with Fonte Films, “Sombra” figuring as one of the first titles to come out of the new production house launched by Pablo Isla, ex-president of Inditex
“La Nena”
The third part of a crime novel series whose first adaptation. The stylish and brutal “The Gypsy Bride,” from Penny Dreadful” director Paco Cabezas, yielded one of Atresplayer’s biggest hits of 2022.
The Gypsy Bride
The Gypsy Bride, Credit: Javier de Agustin Aldeguer
“33 Days”
An Atresmedia TV series to track, an early TV outing from Lastor Media, whose credits include Berlin winner “Alcarras” and Cannes winner “Creatur,” partnering with True Crime Factory and Goroka- Series is inspired by the real life prison breakout in 2001 of trigger-happy Manuel Brito and Javier Picatoste, on the run for the titular 33 days.
“The Route. Part 2: Ibiza”
Atresmedia TV’s biggest critical hit of 2022, now back from a second season with Marc Ribó (Àlex Monner) now enthroned as the resident DJ of Amnesia, one of the biggest discotheques in Ibiza as the island takes off as the capital of Europe’s club culture. But Ibiza also has a special place in his family history. Atresmedia produces the identity-themed Season 2 with Caballo Films, firmly established as one of Spain’s top production houses after “The Beasts” and “The Route.” Series creator Borja Soler directs.
“¿A Qúe Estas Esperando?”
A romcom adaptation of two erotic novels by Megan Maxwell, turning on two young couples averse to definitive commitment, “in a series which talks about the contradictions of love and alternatives in a modern age,” according to Atresmedia TV which produces with Diagonal, part of Banijay Iberia and behind “The Gypsy Bride,” and DeAPlaneta.
“Erase Una Vez en Marbella”
A doc series chronicling the history and transformation of Marbella from a small fishing village to chic hot spot attracting the jet set and organised crime. Produced by Atresmedia TV with Happy Ending.
