The British Broadcasting Corporation, which has been exporting its particular brand of programming to audiences who enjoy murder mysteries set in improbably picturesque villages since long before streaming was a verb, is making a more formal commitment to the Iberian Peninsula.
BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the public broadcaster, has established a dedicated Madrid hub for its channels and streaming business, hiring three executives to oversee operations in Spain and Portugal. The move reflects what the company describes as growing appetite for British content in the region — a phenomenon that suggests Continental viewers have not tired of watching detectives solve crimes in Cornwall or presenters drive expensive cars very fast.
Leading the new operation is David Urgell Pérez, who will serve as country manager after a career that has taken him through SkyShowtime, Paramount and Fox International Channels. (His most recent venture was running his own consultancy, which is what senior media executives do between senior media executive jobs.) He will be joined by Carlos Méndez as head of programming and Cristina Miquel as head of marketing.
Mr. Urgell Pérez said in an interview that Spain has become one of BBC Studios' most developed digital markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with six FAST channels — the ad-supported streaming services that have proliferated across the industry — and the BBC Player service now reaching more than 16 million viewers through various distribution partners.
"What we're seeing is a growing appetite for curated, easy-to-access viewing experiences built around trusted brands," Mr. Urgell Pérez said, adding that audiences "want services that help them discover programs they know they can trust, rather than having to navigate an endless choice of content."
The company plans to replicate its Spanish model in Portugal, with programming localized into Portuguese. BBC Studios also operates Brutal Media, a Spanish production company that produces both original local programming and adaptations of BBC formats.
The expansion comes as FAST channels have become an increasingly crowded field, with media companies large and small seeking advertising revenue from viewers who have grown accustomed to not paying for things.
Original story published in The Hollywood Reporter: "Why BBC Studios Hired a Channels & Streaming Iberia Team: Execs Outline Growth Opportunities"