Telefónica kicks off original series in Latin America

Telefónica has used MIPTV to announce that it is kicking off production of original fiction series in Latin America. Pre-production of the first three series has already begun in Colombia and Peru and the first releases will be taking place beginning the second half of this year on Telefónica’s different video platforms.

The effort will kick off with a Peruvian comedy that combines fiction and reality with music, and a coming-of-age teen series set in Bogotá in the 90s, with pre-production beginning some months ago in Colombia and Peru. Telefónica said it would provide details of these and other projects as they develop.

The new series will be available through Movistar Series, the channel launched in Latin America on February last year through Movistar TV and Movistar Play, the application aimed at the more than 110 million Telefónica mobile users in the region.

Movistar Series is currently available in 11 countries and offers exclusively the original series Movistar+ has produced in Spain, including The Plague, Giants, Arde Madrid and The Pier. The line-up will be bolstered by new Latin American shows starting in the second half of this year.

Telefónica  has set an ambition to become the leading producer of Spanish-language fiction content globally, following the launch of original series in Spain in 2017 through Movistar+. Since then, 19 original series have been produced which have been exclusively released for Telefónica customers in the markets where Telefónica operates, and in another 50 countries around the world through international distribution agreements.

The telco has close to nine million pay TV customers globally.

“After the success achieved by the original fiction content produced by Telefónica in Spain, it was natural for us to expand upon this same strategy for Latin America. Content is what makes our offer stand apart from the rest, and we have transformed our video platform into an aggregator where our customers can access the best content, our own and others, from one place. With our commitment to original production, we want our channels to become the best showcase for the huge talent and creativity of a grand community that speaks Spanish as a common language,” said Paula Figueroa, director of Telefónica’s video unit.

“I have taken up this great challenge from the enormous potential offered by Telefónica for the growth of the audiovisual industry in our region. We are very excited about the projects that we are developing. We seek to reach the Latin American viewer with stories that hit close to home, that move us, and that we can feel identified with,” said Joanna Lombardi, the Peruvian director and producer who has been named as director of fiction for Telefónica in Latin America