In a high-profile appointment, Sonia Martínez, an iconic TV govt on Spain’s fashionable TV scene behind “Money Heist” and “Locked Up,” has joined the Pablo Cruz-headed El Estudio aiming to energy up its progress in Spain.
Established in 2020, El Estudio has workplaces in Madrid and Mexico Metropolis. Martínez will function El Estudio’s director of contents in Spain. Her oversight consists of artistic technique, growth and manufacturing of movie and TV tasks and the company consolidation of El Estudio in Spain.
El Estudio’s launch coincided with the construct of peak TV as Hollywood’s studios and native operators scrambled to meet up with Netflix in grabbing market share in a worldwide SVOD subscription market of seemingly limitless progress.
Spearheaded by Cruz, El Estudio has positioned a number of titles with Netflix (“The Dance of the 41,” James Beard Award winner “Las Crónicas del Taco,” “Deseo”), TelevisaUnivision streamer ViX (“Pena Arena,” “Al Chile”) and Amazon Prime Video (the underrated motion pictures Spanish motion pictures “Voy a pasármelo bien” and “Voy a pasármelo major” and 2026 motion film “Vengeance,” the primary Mexican authentic from Amazon MGM Studios, and a No. 1 throughout a number of territories, vindicating locally-rooted genre, made at scale.
Since Netflix’s shock early 2022 outcomes, nonetheless, as world streaming have prioritized backside line outcomes over market share, scoring commissions from streamers has develop into an ever-harder name. Producers have turned ever extra to trying worldwide co-production mixed with key core broadcaster licensing offers.
“Martínez’s arrival is an important step in El Estudio’s growth strategy in Spain,” El Estudio stated in a press release. “After building in film and TV in Spanish-language markets with platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and ViX, the company is now reenforcing its local structure. The aim is to grow presence in the Spanish market and develop new projects with international reach.”
Martínez will give El Estudio high-profile govt feet-on-the floor in Spain and certainly one of its TV executives with largest expertise in making profitable reveals in a fast-evolving TV panorama, whether or not prime-time free-to-air bread viewers hits (“Hospital Central,” “Los Serrano,” “Aída”) at Mediaset España the place she served as deputy head of fiction and the pinnacle of fiction over 2001-2006; or bold sequence made for Spain and worldwide markets because the latter opened as much as Spain originals (“Gran Hotel,” “The Time in Between”) which she govt produced at Atresmedia TV over 2006-17.
As peak TV started to blow up, Martínez championed sequence with an ever bigger cable edge, whether or not “Locked Up” or “Money Heist,” which recut by Netflix for worldwide audiences turned its very first world non-English language blockbuster. At Atresmedia Studios over 2017-2000, included into Buendía Estudios from 2020, Martínez has additionally championed a brand new era of creators, most notably Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo (“The Black Ball”), backing their “Veneno,” a U.S. hit on HBO.
Martínez introduced in early February that she was departing Buendía Estudios for impartial manufacturing.
“I’m confronting this new stage with large illusion and sense of responsibility,” stated Martínez. “I’m joining a company with a very clear identity, large creative ambition and strong international vocation. I’m highly motivated about contributing to the growth of El Estudio in Spain and supporting projects which connect worldwide.”
“It’s a privilege counting on Sonia at El Estudio. I’ve followed and admired her work during years,” Cruz added. “Her experience, creative vision and profound knowledge of the industry will be key for the new stage. Her incorporation reenforces our objective of constructing a benchmark company in the creation of Spanish-language contents from Spain and Mexico for the world.”
