Disney Iberia partners with Movistar

Movistar and Disney: strategic allies in offering the best entertainment.

The two leading brands in the entertainment industry have joined forces in order to launch Movistar Disney.

  • This joint initiative that will enable Movistar+ customers to gain exclusive access to the best Disney contents, both as a linear channel (dial 31) and on demand, as of 22nd December
  • Furthermore, in order to mark the imminent release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi at cinemas, Movistar and Disney will once again join forces to bring the Star Wars universe closer to Movistar customers

Luis Miguel Gilpérez, President of Telefónica España, Simón Amselem, CEO of The Walt Disney Company in Spain and Portugal, and Fernando Jerez, Head of #0 and Entertainment Contents at Movistar+, presented a strategic alliance between Movistar and Disney today that will endow Movistar’s range of television contents with added value and differentiation. This pioneering agreement between two leaders within the entertainment industry will facilitate the launch of Movistar+ Disney,a new channel that will begin its broadcasts next 22nd December and will feature contents from Walt Disney Studios and Pixar, forming an exclusive part of the permanent Movistar+ catalogue.

With the alliance we are presenting today we have renewed our agreement with Disney, a leading company at an international level for the creation of high-quality contents. Thanks to this alliance, we shall continue to bring Disney contents to our customers, thus building the television model that our viewers demand. The best entertainment is now available in just one galaxy: Movistar”, declared Luis Miguel Gilpérez, the President of Telefónica España during the presentation event held today.

Simon Amselem, CEO of The Walt Disney Company in Spain and Portugal, stated that, “At Disney we place the emphasis on technology, innovation and creativity, which is why we believe Movistar is a key partner when it comes to bringing our contents closer to Spanish audiences. This is the first time on our market that a single platform, in both a linear and non-linear environment, has ever presented so much Disney content. Movistar will be one of the few operators around the world that can place the Disney seal on one of its own channels”.

In this respect, Movistar+ Disney will become the world’s second channel to associate the Disney brand with a pay TV platform, following Sky Movies Disney in the United Kingdom. This new television channel on Movistar+ (dial 31) will offer 24 hours of Disney magic: recent hits such as Frozen and Beauty and the Beast; classic movies such as The Lion King and Fantasia; titles from the Pirates of the Caribbean saga, real-life adaptations of classics such as Maleficent; and different short films and extra contents from the Disney catalogue.

In terms of content, Fernando Jerez, Head of #0 and Entertainment Contents at Movistar+, has stated that “The emphasis that Movistar+ has placed on cinema is quite unique on the Spanish market: we offer more than 320 titles a year, hits that bring some 80% of the films premiered at cinemas to the TV screen for the first time. Movistar Disney will complete our family of channels, where cinema accounts for almost half of our demand (47%). With this launch we will become the best platform for enjoying Disney entertainment, effectively offering contents that will not be available anywhere else”.

Movistar Disney will also stage thematic programme events linked to the latest Disney developments on our market.

Furthermore, next 15th December, Star Wars: The Last Jedi  will reach our cinemas and Movistar and Disney will once again join forces to bring the Star Wars universe closer to Movistar customers,thus renewing the sponsorship agreement they signed in 2015. This alliance will entail the staging of a number of different initiatives. In this respect, Movistar+ and Disney will offer a large part of the saga to viewers thanks to the Movistar Star Wars pop-up channel. Between 1st and 18th of that month,the channel will be available in the family package, both in Spanish and in original version with subtitles. Thus, Movistar+ will offer its viewers a unique point of reference where they can find the best Star Wars contents 24 hours a day.

Movistar has created an original spot to mark the theatrical launch of Star Wars: The Last Jedi  through various sports ambassadors from Movistar teams, such as the ten-times kite-surfing champion, Gisela Pulido, the racer from Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team, Maverick Viñales, and the Spanish National Football Team.

As of 20th November, more than 500 Movistar shops will feature the most important characters from Star Wars:The Last Jedi  in their window displays. Inside the shops, the experience will go even further, since customers will be able to mingle with characters from the saga, dress up as Princess Leia or a Jedi, and even bring away an official poster of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The most impressive App in the galaxy will offer exclusive contents, official videos and sound and voice excerpts. Between 15th and 31st December, the Flagship Store in Madrid will present an exhibition made up of real-size and to-scale replicas of characters from the saga. There will also be activities for all ages, virtual reality experiences and interactive windows, amongst other initiatives.