Netflix has announced that it has chosen the Spanish capital Madrid for its first European production hub.
According to the company, it will be located at Ciudad de la Tele (TV City), a new 22,000 sq m campus in Tres Cantos, being developed and managed by Grupo Secuoya, a leader in audiovisual production services. 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 1,200 sq m sound stages from September, with the option to occupy additional space as construction completes.
Netflix notes that the creation of the hub reflects its deepening investment in Spain, with over 13,000 cast, crew and extras working on 20 Netflix original productions in the country this year.
Commenting on the hub, Erik Barmack, VP of international originals at Netflix, said: “Spain has a rich heritage of innovative, immersive content creation and we are excited to strengthen our investment in the cultural heartland of Madrid. 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.”
Raúl Berdonés, president, Grupo Secuoya, added: “We are delighted that Netflix has chosen Ciudad de la Tele as the location of its first European production hub. 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.”
María Peña, CEO of ICEX, the Spanish government agency for trade and investment promotion, said: “We very much welcome Netflix’s decision to establish its first European production hub in our country. 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.”