Disney+ agrees entertainment, drama content sharing deal with Spain’s RTVE

Disney+ has signed an agreement with Spanish public broadcaster RTVE to broadcast a selection of drama series and entertainment programmes on its platform the day after they premiere on free-to-air TV.

Karl Holmes

The Walt Disney Company

This is the streamer’s second similar agreement in Spain, where last year it partnered with the private media group Atresmedia to broadcast 300 hours of content from its Atresplayer platform. It has also partnered with ITV in the UK, ZDF in Germany and SIC in Portugal.

Among the RTVE content that will be available on Disney+ is the upcoming thriller series Rojo sobre blanco (Red on White), produced by Mediawan-owned Good Mood and starring Hugo Silva and María Hervás. It will premiere on RTVE’s La 1 and then be available on Disney+.

In entertainment, Disney+ will carry the next seasons of gastronomic talent show MasterChef, the 14th edition of which will premiere on linear television on March 30, as well as the 11th of Celebrity MasterChef.

“RTVE is a much-loved network with audiences in Spain, boasting a rich heritage of decades of incredible programmes. Through this agreement, we are delighted to bring some of RTVE’s most iconic new titles to Disney+ users, featuring some of the most popular and acclaimed formats on Spanish television,” said Karl Holmes, general manager of Disney+ for EMEA.

“Adding these programmes to Disney+ reinforces our ambition to enrich the service, while also giving greater visibility to the extraordinary creative talent in Spain. This collaboration reflects our commitment to working closely with Europe’s leading free-to-air broadcasters, bringing their high-quality local storytelling to younger and newer audiences.”

The news comes days after Disney+ unveiled its new Spanish documentary series titled Abandoned at Series Mania. Produced by Luminol Media, the series tells the story of three children found abandoned at a train station.

Angela Jain, the streamer’s new head of content for EMEA, said that Disney+ is looking for more content aimed at young and female audiences in Spain.