Spanish pay-TV platform Movistar Plus and Skydance have extended their strategic alliance under a two-year global agreement. The real news is not just a renewal: the two partners are adding a shared label for local original series.
The deal arrives as one of the first major international pacts Skydance has confirmed since completing its merger with Warner, so it doubles as a read on how the combined studio will package its assets for European distributors.
A joint label for local originals
The companies will create a co-branded Originals label for projects developed together. Series carrying that label will premiere at the same time on Movistar Plus and HBO Max in Spain, which turns the streamer into a premiere partner rather than a direct competitor for these titles.
The first two titles under the label are:
- Veredicto, a Movistar Plus and HBO Original series produced with Ikiru Films and Luminol Media, created by Eduard Sola, Pol Cortecans and Daniel González from an idea by Carles Porta, and starring Nagore Aranburu, Ernesto Alterio, Alba Flores, Omar Ayuso, Secun de la Rosa, Alfredo Castro, Marc Soler, Júlia Mascort, Cris Blanco and Mamen Duch.
- A new Movistar Plus and HBO Original series from Carles Porta and Los Moriarti, starring Anna Castillo, Pol López and Eduard Fernández.
The label structure lets Movistar Plus and Skydance share development and production risk on Spanish stories while giving each title a two-brand launch across pay-TV and streaming.
What the renewal carries
- Skydance TV channels on Movistar Plus: Warner TV, TCM, Discovery, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2 and Cartoon Network VOD.
- Continued access to first-run and catalogue films from Warner Bros. Pictures.
- Non-exclusive rights to the PGA Tour.
The agreement runs from July 2026 through December 2027. For advertisers and media planners, the takeaway is structural: post-merger studio deals are increasingly being sold as a bundle of originals, library, linear channels and sports, not as separate line items.
Why this deal matters
For a telco-backed platform such as Movistar Plus, holding Warner TV, TCM, Discovery and Eurosport keeps viewing minutes spread across linear and on-demand, which supports bundling and ad sales. Simultaneous HBO Max premieres also give a Spanish original two premium windows in one market without two separate acquisition campaigns.
“This agreement strengthens our long-standing strategic partnership with Skydance and allows us to continue offering our customers one of the most comprehensive entertainment propositions in the market, combining the best user experience with some of the most recognized content and brands in the audiovisual industry.”
Alfonso Gómez Palacio, CEO of Movistar Plus, said in the announcement.
The extension is an early template for how Skydance’s Warner-era assets may travel across Europe. Expect other pay-TV renewals to be measured against the same question: does the agreement create a local originals pipeline, or only extend a channel line-up?
Source: Deadline
