Movistar+ connected devices surpass 10 million

The number of devices connected to Telefónica’s Movistar+ pay TV service has surpassed 10 million, according to the operator, with the service being viewed on some six million TV sets each month.

The operator said that the coronavirus lockdown had helped boost the number of devices connected to the service to a historic record of over 10 million each month, up 15% on the figure for October 2019.

The television screen remains the favoured device to watch the service, with 3.5 million TV sets being connected by set-top box, two million via smart TV apps and the remainder via a variety of HDMI-connected devices.

Movistar said its introduction of smart TV apps had facilitated much easier access to the service without the need for a smartcard, enabling users to access the services with any compatible smart TV or HDMI device and allowing them to view the content around the home.

The service is also compatible with Google Chromecast, enabling users of Android and iOS devices to cast the service to the TV screen, with availability on Apple TV to follow this summer.

“Telefónica has a clear objective, to make technology accessible and improve people’s lives. In line with this goal, to be able to use a smart TV or personal HDMI device compatible with the Movistar+ application from the user’s home it is no longer necessary to register or fill in credentials on the screen with a remote control, something that is always tedious, but only to connect the smart TV or the HDMI device to the WiFi signal or Telefónica router in the home, and that’s it,” said Fernando Enrile, director of strategy and development at Movistar+.