Movistar Plus+ has launched a free plan in Spain, immediately attracting interest from those unwilling to pay for a subscription. This move could change viewers’ habits and shift the balance of power among the country’s streaming platforms. A selection of popular shows, series, and sports programs is now available at no cost, opening new opportunities for users to explore the service.
The platform lets non-subscribers watch full episodes of selected entertainment shows, pilot episodes of series, and the beginnings of documentary projects. This approach allows potential viewers to assess the content’s quality and decide whether to sign up for a paid subscription. However, full access to the entire catalog remains exclusive to paying customers, while the free plan is limited in scope and variety.
What’s available for free
With its free plan, Movistar Plus+ offers full access to several entertainment programs, including “El consultorio de Berto,” “Leo Talks,” “Moderneces,” “Ilustres ignorantes,” “Showriano,” “La Resistencia,” “Hablemos de cortos,” “Hablemos de terror,” “Late Motiv,” “Cinco Tenedores,” “El Cielo puedo esperar,” “Martínez y Hermanos,” “Rojo Caramelo,” and “Zasback.” Some titles, such as “Las Berrocal” and “Capítulo Cero,” are available only with their first episode. This creates a kind of ‘trailer’ for new viewers, letting them get to know the show’s format.
Documentaries are represented by introductory episodes: “La última llamada,” “La caza del solitario,” “Luz en la oscuridad” Seasons 1 and 2, “Crimen por encargo,” “Missing in Murcia,” “Alaska Revelada,” “Bosé Renacido,” “Lina,” “Macarena,” “Paparazzi,” “Perejil,” “Porvenir,” “Muros,” “Supergarcía,” “El corazón del Imperio,” “ETA, el final del silencio,” “Volver para ser otros. El mundo después del coronavirus,” “Iñaki y… las nuevas amenazas tras el 11S,” “La liga de los hombres extraordinarios,” “UMMO,” and “Alejandro Sanz: Cuando nadie me ve.” This selection highlights the diversity of topics but doesn’t provide a full picture of each project.
Series and sports
Only the first episodes of series are available for free. Among them are “Bellas Artes”, “El dentista”, “Terra alta”, “¿Qué fue de Jorge Sanz?”, “Crematorio”, “La Zona”, “Vergüenza T1”, “Arde Madrid”, “El día de mañana”, “Félix”, “Gigantes T1”, “La Peste T1”, “Matar al padre”, “Mira lo que has hecho T1”, “SKAM España T1”, “Virtual Hero T1”, “El embarcadero T1”, “En el corredor de la muerte”, “ETA, el final del silencio (Zubiak)”, “Gigantes T2”, “Hierro T1”, “Instinto”, “Justo antes de Cristo T1”, “La Peste T2”, “Merlí: Sapere aude T1”, “Mira lo que has hecho T2”, “SKAM España T2”, “Vida perfecta T1”, “Antidisturbios”, “Dime quién soy”, “El embarcadero T2”, “Justo antes de Cristo T2”, “La línea invisible”, “La unidad T1”, “Mira lo que has hecho T3”, “Nasdrovia T1”, “SKAM España T3”, “SKAM España T4”, “Vergüenza T3”, “Virtual Hero T2”, “Hierro T2”, “La Fortuna”, “Libertad”, “Los espabilados”, “Merlí: Sapere aude T2”, “Paraíso”, “Reyes de la noche”, “Supernormal”, “Vida perfecta T2”, “Apagón”, “El inmortal T1”, “Fácil”, “La unidad T2”, “Nasdrovia T2”, “Paraíso T2”, “Rapa T1”, “Sentimos las molestias T1”, “Todos mienten”, “El hijo zurdo”, “El otro lado”, “La mesías”, “La unidad T3”, “Poquita fe”, “Rapa T2”, “Sentimos las molestias T2”, “Supernormal T2”, “Todos mienten T2”, “Celeste”, “El inmortal T2”, “Galgos”, “Los años nuevos”, “Marbella”, “Querer”, “Rapa T3”, “Segunda Muerte”, “El centro”, “La canción”, “La vida breve”, “Los sin nombre”, “Silencio”, “Yakarta”, “Por cien millones”. This format lets viewers try out different genres, but to keep watching, a paid subscription is required.
The sports section of the free plan features shows and previews such as “El día después”, “Eurofighters”, “Deporte Plus sábado”, “Deporte Plus domingo”, “Universo Valdano”, “Noche de Champions M”, “Noche de Champions X”, “Noche de Europa League”, “La casa del fútbol”, “La previa de la Champions M”, “La previa de la Champions X”, “La previa de la Europa League”, “La previa de la Euroliga”, “Bakalá”, “Planeta Tenis”, “Locos por el golf”, and “El tercer tiempo”. This allows users to keep up with key sports events but does not replace a full sports package.
Strategy and consequences
According to russpain.com, the launch of Movistar Plus+’s free plan is an attempt to attract a new audience and increase brand awareness among those who have not previously used the service. This move could intensify competition in the streaming video market in Spain, which already has major international and local players. Free access to part of the content is not only a marketing tool, but also a way to showcase the platform’s wide catalog without revealing all its features.
A similar approach has already been used by other services: in the past, some platforms in Spain and across Europe offered individual episodes or special selections for free viewing to spark interest in subscriptions. As a result, these initiatives often led to an increase in new users, though they did not always secure long-term loyalty. In recent years, competition among streaming services has intensified, and companies are searching for new ways to capture and hold audience attention.
Overall, free plans with limited access are becoming increasingly popular among major platforms. They let users explore the service without risk or expense, while companies expand their reach and test new ways to engage with their audience. In Spain, such initiatives could reshape media consumption patterns and influence viewers’ choices in favor of services offering greater flexibility and variety.
