Netflix: Madrid base for European production hub
July 24, 2018
By Colin Mann
Netflix has announced the creation of its first production hub in Europe, located in La Ciudad de la Tele, a new campus of 22,000m2 in Tres Cantos, Madrid, currently under construction and managed by audiovisual production services specialist Grupo Secuoya.
It will be a central facility for Netflix’s growing slate of Spanish-language original content over the coming years including new and existing titles produced by Netflix, as well as series and films made by production partners for Netflix.
As part of the multi-year partnership, Grupo Secuoya will provide facility management and other services to Netflix, including being the exclusive production services partner for projects based at the Ciudad de la Tele campus. Netflix will take occupancy of three 1,200m2 sound stages from September, with the option to occupy additional space as construction completes.
The creation of the production hub reflects Netflix’s deepening investment in Spain, with over 13,000 cast, crew and extras working on 20 Netflix original productions across the country this year. Spanish titles coming soon to Netflix include season 3 of Las Chicas del Cable on September 7th and Élite, a young adult drama coming soon, with titles currently in production including Isabel Coixet’s new original film Elisa & Marcela and The Alcásser Murders, a new original documentary series.
Netflix recently announced an overall deal with Álex Pina, the creator of the worldwide phenomenon La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), the most watched non-English language show on Netflix. Netflix is also investing significantly in licensed and co-produced titles created by Spanish broadcasters and producers. This includes a recent agreement for first-option access to drama series from Atresmedia, with Fariña and La Catedral del Mar among the upcoming titles launching on Netflix globally.
“Spain has a rich heritage of innovative, immersive content creation and we are excited to strengthen our investment in the cultural heartland of Madrid,” commented Erik Barmack, Vice President of International Originals at Netflix. “From San Sebastián to Santiago de Chile and Toronto to Tokyo, Spanish-language content is savoured by Netflix members across the world. The establishment of our first European production hub will create new opportunities for Spain’s incredible creative talent, as well as demonstrating our commitment to the production of original content throughout Europe.”
“We are delighted that Netflix has chosen Ciudad de la Tele as the location of its first European production hub,” declared Raúl Berdonés, Presidente, Grupo Secuoya. “Netflix sets a world-class standard in its production process and the decision to create a production hub in Madrid is proof of Spain’s leadership in the audiovisual industry, as well as the depth of its talent pool. Grupo Secuoya is delighted to partner with Netflix to support the production of Spanish-language series for the world.”
“We very much welcome Netflix’s decision to establish its first European production hub in our country,” added María Peña, CEO of ICEX, the Spanish Government Agency for Trade and Investment Promotion. “We are sure this project will contribute strongly to positioning Spain as a competitive location for the global entertainment industry. In that respect, it will be entitled to our full support.”