Telefónica stakes international claim with new TV and film Studio

Spanish telco Telefónica has put all of its production units into a single Studios division and said it want to become a significant international TV and film producer.

It has launched Telefónica Studios, a central unit that will comprise all of its content-making activities and will make a raft of TV and feature content for its Movistar pay TV service and for third parties.

The new Studio will make content focused on the Spanish and Latin American markets and will also produce English-language fare.

Telefónica, unveiling the new unit at the Movistar-sponsored San Sebastian Film Festival, said it will make several original series and 25 features over the next three years.

The company said that centralising all of its content activities under the Studios banner signals its intent to become a major player in the international film and TV markets. The content arm of Argentina’s Telefe, which is owned by Telefónica, as well Telefónica Media Networks and Telefónica Producciones Spain.

The TV production will be focussed on paid-for high-end drama for the Movistar pay TV and Movistar Play on-demand services. Its TV work to date includes scripted series Isabel, which runs to two seasons, and Amar en Tiempos Revueltos (Love in Difficult Times).

The move comes as Spain’s drama producers look to international markets to offset the challenges of operating in the economically challnged Spanish market.