As a lifelong enthusiast of international television, I must say that Spain has undeniably taken the global stage by storm with its captivating and high-quality productions. Having followed the trajectory of Spanish TV fiction for quite some time now, it’s truly heartening to see it being recognized as the 2024 Country of Honor at Mipcom.
Spanish television fiction consistently leads the pack in international television, keeping its strong appeal and influence over streaming platforms and foreign markets. In light of these achievements, Mipcom has chosen Spain to be their 2024 “Country of Distinction,” a recognition that reflects the industry’s success. This recognition is given on the basis of market performance.
So far in the year up to October 6th, Spanish titles have dominated Netflix’s global non-English TV series rankings for a total of 15 out of 40 weeks. This is slightly more than South Korea, which has held the top spot for 13 weeks, and significantly more than Japan (three) and France (two), which are far behind in terms of number of weeks at No. 1.
Verónica Fernández, Netflix’s director for series and films in Spain and Portugal, points out that shows like ‘Berlin,’ ‘The Asunta Case,’ and ‘Raising Voices,’ which are distinctively Spanish, stood out due to their authenticity and high quality,” explains the statement.
On February 29th, “Red Queen” premiered at the top spot in over twenty nations, among them being Spain, on Amazon Prime Video.
The success of high-quality streaming translates to Spanish films, as evidenced by J.A. Bayona’s 2023 multi-award winner “Society of the Snow” becoming the most viewed non-English film in Netflix’s record books.
On October 4th, Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s movie “The Platform 2” climbed to the top position globally among non-English films available on Netflix; previously, Domingo González’s film “My Fault” held the record as the most-watched non-English movie on Amazon Prime Video.
Next year, Netflix will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in Spain, which Fernández states is a significant milestone. By now, they have become an integral part of the local creative scene, collaborating with more than 50 production companies and outstanding creative individuals. It’s no surprise that Spain ranked second in Europe (after the U.K.) for investments in original content by global streamers, totaling €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in 2023, as revealed in a recent report by the European Audiovisual Observatory.
Spanish fiction persists thriving on the open market, beyond just streamers. Following positive critiques and festival acclaim, “Vestidas de azul,” a series produced by Suma Content and a sequel to the global sensation “Veneno,” has been sold in over 40 territories by Atresmedia Sales. These territories include Max for Europe and Latin America, Bell Media in Canada, RSI in Switzerland, and RTBF in Belgium.
According to Caroline Servy, the head of TV research group The Wit, Spanish television fiction is responding by putting more emphasis on a wider variety of production types, states the report.
She points out that these works generate unconstrained series, delving more into narratives connected to real-life events. Mentioned are “The Asunta Case” by Bambú, “Burning Body” from Arcadia, “Celeste” by Mediapro Studio-100 Balas, and the upcoming Brutal Media miniseries titled “Asalto al Banco Central.
She clarifies that the narratives are presented with increased aspiration and unbridled creativity, enabling a wide range of tales across multiple genres to unfold freely, devoid of restrictions and heavily character-centric in their approach.
Modern Spanish television dramas are following the lead set by “Money Heist,” Netflix’s first globally successful TV series, which marked a significant breakthrough for Spanish television fiction in 2018. However, it’s important to note that Spain has been a major player in the TV industry since the 1990s, with companies like Globomedia, Filmax, and Bambú Producciones selling format rights and creating high-quality melodramas.
The local industry has dodged the streaming bubble burst seen elsewhere.
Alex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato, creators of “Money Heist” and “Berlin”, express that Spanish fiction has historically struggled with self-confidence. They note that ‘Money Heist’ served as a release and significantly increased self-esteem within the creative community.
Netflix’s eight-season drama “Elite,” produced by Antonio Asensio’s Zeta Studios, skillfully combines societal commentary with youthful drama. This series has achieved global success.
Zeta’s head of development, Xavier Toll, mentions that our stories now cater to a variety of genres and specialized groups of viewers. This approach allows us to create series that may not appeal to everyone but certainly possess unique personalities,” says Xavier Toll.
The team behind “Money Heist” is currently developing another original series for Netflix titled “The Fallout Shelter.” As they put it, “When stories have the liberty to roam freely, they can unleash extraordinary creativity and venture into realms of imagination beyond our expectations.
The series we’re producing serves as solid evidence. We constructed over 8,000 square meters of a set designed as a millionaire’s bunker, which is one aspect of the shift in perspective following ‘Money Heist.’ Spanish creative minds now feel confident in taking on any challenge, matching the caliber of the best.
Indeed, Mipcom’s recognition is quite fitting. It’s intriguing to observe how Spanish fiction has undergone a remarkable transformation. This is why it’s truly deserving of this accolade from Mipcom. It offers us an opportunity to witness its impressive progress over the past ten years, as Servy notes.
The Honors Program showcases Spain’s remarkable expansion over the past few years, positioning it as a key player in international production and a provider of top-notch content for global viewers.
According to Elisa Carbonell, CEO of ICEX, Spain’s export and investment organization, the growing global recognition of the skills of professionals working in the Spanish audiovisual industry is evident from the rising rankings of Spanish content on TV.
At Mipcom, there will be a unique keynote speech emphasizing creativity, featuring directors Bayona and Diego Betancor of “Elite.” Additionally, a discussion panel is scheduled where producers will scrutinize two Spanish productions: the French series “Zorro,” produced by Le Collectif 64, France Télévisions, and Paramount+, as well as the procedural “Weiss & Morales” jointly produced by Portocabo-ZDF-RTVE.
On October 21st, the global debut of the RTVE historical drama “Ena. Queen Victoria Eugenia” takes place. This production is a joint effort and was crafted by Javier Olivares, who is also known for creating “The Department of Time.
In addition, ICEX will showcase new content, including a Fresh TV session from the Wit.
“Our goal is to forefront Spanish audiovisual talent,” Carbonell says.
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2024-10-21 07:49