Movistar+ hits 3.7 million subs in its first year

Juan Fernandez Gonzalez
| 08 July 2016

Although the numbers aren’t from scratch, Telefónica’s Movistar+ is claiming 3.7 million pay-TV subs as it has its first anniversary.

movistar sin conexionBorn in July 2015 from the merger of Movistar TV and Canal+, Movistar+ closes a year with no rival.

“Our goal is simple: to consolidate as a TV provider, with best premium content and a differential offer, along with offering the best user experience,” said Telefónica in a release.

A year has been enough for Telefónica to reach its goal of becoming a leading video operator in Spain. With Movistar TV previously struggling to reach one million subs, the new platform now gathers nearly 70% of the pay-TV market, with Vodafone-ONO being its nearest competitor with over a million subscriptions.

Movistar+ has also become a solid option within the video-on-demand (VOD) sector, offering access to over 15,000 titles through Yomvi, half of which are also available for offline viewing.

Telefónica’s rapid success as pay-TV and video provider has a lot to do with content. The telco has bet on sports – closing agreements for La Liga, the Champions League, Formula One and the NBA, among others – and exclusive premium series like Game of Thrones, Orange is the New Black and House of Cards.