Why BBC Studios Hired a Channels & Streaming Iberia Team: Execs Outline Growth Opportunities

BBC Studios, the commercial arm of U.K. Broadcasting public broadcaster, is doubling down on Spain and Portugal, recently making three appointments to expand its operations in the countries and launching a dedicated Madrid hub for its channels and streaming business.

The Channels & Streaming Iberia team is tasked with supporting the company’s growing FAST, streaming and advertising operations across Spain and Portugal.

Leading the charge will be country manager David Urgell Pérez. He will oversee the commercial strategy across the region, expanding relationships with distribution, platform and advertising partners, while also identifying new business opportunities.
He previously served as vp of distribution and partnerships at SkyShowtime after holding senior roles at Paramount and Fox International Channels. Most recently, he ran his own consultancy, Neos Media.

The two other hires for the Iberia hub are Carlos Méndez, who serves as head of programming, and Cristina Miquel as head of marketing.

THR checked in with the three about BBC Studios’ upside opportunity for Spain and Portugal.

The announcement of your new role mentioned that “Spain is one of our fastest-growing markets in Southern Europe, with strong demand for premium British content.” What audience segments and trends in Spain are driving this interest in British programming?

DAVID URGELL PÉREZ We see interest across a wide range of genres, and the breadth and depth of our content allows us to appeal to very different audiences. We currently have six FAST channels in Spain covering a broad range of interests, while our extensive library also enables us to target highly engaged audience communities around genres such as natural history, motoring, food, lifestyle, drama and factual entertainment.

Spain has become one of BBC Studios’ most developed digital markets in EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa], with six FAST channels and BBC Player now reaching more than 16 million viewers through a growing network of streaming, connected TV and telecommunications partners. What we’re seeing is a growing appetite for curated, easy-to-access viewing experiences built around trusted brands and high-quality content. Audiences increasingly want services that help them discover programs they know they can trust, rather than having to navigate an endless choice of content.

Historically, BBC content has had a strong reputation for quality in Spain, with programs appearing for many years on major national and regional broadcasters such as RTVE, Antena 3, TV3 and Mediaset.

Are there any audience groups or new distribution and advertising opportunities that you see as key areas to tap into?

URGELL PÉREZ We continue to see significant opportunities in both audience growth and commercial partnerships. As FAST matures, we believe the next phase of growth will come from a combination of greater audience engagement, stronger platform partnerships and more targeted advertising opportunities.

We are fortunate to have a portfolio that can serve both broad audiences and highly engaged fan communities, allowing us to work with advertisers and distribution partners in a much more focused way. More broadly, FAST allows audiences to rediscover iconic brands, such as Top Gear, while giving advertisers access to clearly defined and highly engaged audience segments.

Where do you see growth and upside in Portugal?

URGELL PÉREZ We see Portugal as a natural extension of our broader Iberian strategy, combining premium BBC content, localized experiences and strong distribution partnerships.

As in Spain, our ambition is to make BBC content available wherever audiences choose to watch, across both streaming and FAST environments. We are replicating the successful combination of channels and streaming in the Portuguese market, with all content localized into Portuguese and a strong pipeline of first-window content for BBC Player.

Cristina, has there been much BBC Studios marketing in Iberia and where do you see opportunities to increase it?

CRISTINA MIQUEL There has always been strong awareness of BBC content in Spain, with many of our programs having been present in the market for years through different broadcasters and platforms. What is changing now is the opportunity to bring that together under a BBC branded proposition.

With BBC Player and our six FAST channels available across a growing number of partners, we have more opportunities to connect with Spanish audiences and help them discover our content and where to find it.

From a marketing perspective, in such a fragmented market, curation is increasingly important. Audiences have an enormous amount of choice, so our role is not simply to promote individual titles, but to help them discover premium British content that is relevant to them.

Carlos, how do you think about the mix of original and acquired programming for your Iberia audiences and how do you want to change it?

CARLOS MÉNDEZ The BBC catalogue is exceptionally broad and deep, making it easy to identify content that resonates with Spanish and Portuguese audiences. The BBC brand has long been recognized as a hallmark of quality and trust, with a proven track record in both scripted and unscripted programming.

This breadth allows us to draw on landmark, award-winning dramas, such as Luther, globally recognized science-fiction franchises like Doctor Who, and highly engaging cosy crime hits, such as Death in Paradise.

While acquired programming could, over time, help strengthen specific categories where we see additional growth opportunities, it would complement our originals-led proposition rather than represent a shift in strategy. With such a wealth of premium British content still available to leverage, BBC originals will remain at the heart of our offering.

The breadth of the BBC catalogue also allows us to continually refresh and evolve our channel and streaming portfolio, ensuring we remain relevant to both existing and new audiences.

Does BBC Studios’ Spanish production company Brutal Media fit into your plans and how? I hear it’s part of your Global Production operation rather than Global Channels & Streaming but it produces both original IP in Spain and local adaptations of the unscripted and scripted formats in the BBC Studios catalogue.

MÉNDEZ While Brutal Media sits outside the Channels & Streaming business, it is another example of BBC Studios’ long-term commitment to Spain and confidence in the market.

It gives us a genuine local production engine in Spain — not just licensing British content, but producing original Spanish IP, such as Bienvenidos a Edén and Asalto al Banco Central, alongside local adaptations of BBC Studios formats, such as The 1% Club, Nation’s Dumbest and The Honesty Box.