Spain’s Atresplayer expands scripted & builds on $440m original spend, with new FAST channels for revamped service

Red Flags

Spanish commercial broadcaster Atresmedia has revealed a new version of its AVOD and SVOD streamer Atresplayer, with new FAST channels and a slate of scripted shows that will build on its €400m ($440m) spent on originals over the past two years.

The four-year-old service, which claims 500,000 subscribers, will host 10 new FAST channels filled with library content and is introducing two subscription plans from 5 July.

Premium will still cost €5 per month (€50 annually) but will see a pre-roll ad applied to each show watched, while the new Familiar Premium, which costs €8 per month (€80 annually), is ad-free and offers up to three simultaneous users, 4K and the option to watch offline.

José Antonio Antón

Atresplayer is also extending its spending on originals, with a slate of new scripted projects. It is working with prodcos including Banijay Iberia’s Diagonal, Fonte Films, set up recently by former Inditex president Pablo Isla, Plano a Plano (Valeria), Mediawan-owned Boomerang TV, Suma Content, one of Spain’s most innovative companies, and Espotlight, among others.

The new slate includes more novel adaptations, YA series, LGTBQ topics, and a police procedural set in Canary Islands.

“We’ve worked with more than 50 independent companies in the last two years and we have invested more than €400m in independent production. We are the local hero,” said José Antonio Antón, head of content at Atresmedia.

Atresmedia is also improving the Smart TV experience for Atresplayer, with Antón pointing to the fact that the service “is the main device of consumption.”

Atresmedia is responsible for some of the most internationally acclaimed Spanish series, such as Veneno, acquired by HBO Max for US. It has also been behind UPA and its 2023 reboot UPA Next, which became a hit in France.

Atresplayer has 20 original dramas in different stages of production to premiere during 2023 and 2024, including shows such as Red Flags. “Diversity is at the core of our content offering,” Antón said, adding that he is “mainly” looking for locally relevant stories.