HBO Max has obtained an exclusive first-look TV agreement with Domingo Corral, the celebrated Spanish TV executive whose exit from Movistar Plus+ last year prompted an remarkable display of sector backing. The deal, announced this week at the Series Mania festival in France, marks a substantial endorsement in Corral’s creative direction at a time when Spanish television is experiencing remarkable global acclaim. The deal grants HBO Max exclusive access to develop original TV content with Corral in Spain, with the inaugural project already approved: a series examining the case of El Nani, a young criminal who disappeared in police detention during Spain’s transition to democracy in 1983.
A Second Chapter for Spanish Television’s Innovative Powerhouse
Corral’s removal from Movistar Plus+ in May 2025 sent shockwaves through Spain’s media landscape. The move prompted an extraordinary open letter endorsed by approximately 150 luminaries, among them Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar, Javier Bardem, and Penélope Cruz, conveying thanks for his stewardship and worry for the channel’s direction. Their collective voice underscored the profound impact Corral had brought to Spanish broadcasting’s artistic development and global reputation throughout his time at the country’s largest pay-TV service.
Under Corral’s creative oversight, Movistar Plus+ secured outstanding achievements on the worldwide market. In 2025 alone, the platform’s content secured the leading award at Series Mania for Alauda Ruíz de Azúa’s “Querer,” whilst Oliver Laxe’s “Sirāt” took the Jury Award at Cannes and thereafter obtained two Oscar nominations. These accolades proved that Spanish television could contend at the top tier globally, positioning the nation as a serious creative force in premium content production.
- HBO Max Chief Content Officer Sarah Aubrey announced the exclusive first-look deal
- El Nani series marks the first project within the new partnership arrangement
- Alberto Rodríguez and Rafael Cobos will pen and direct the El Nani series
- Corral continues tradition of supporting Spain’s most creative writers and directors
The El Nani Project and Corral’s Signature Style
The inaugural project under Corral’s HBO Max deal exemplifies his signature approach to producing television that illuminates pivotal moments in Spanish history. The El Nani series investigates the mysterious disappearance of a young petty criminal in police custody during 1983, a case that came to represent Spain’s difficult shift to democracy. Rather than treating this as a standard crime account, the project frames the following trial as a crucible for examining the nation’s nascent democratic structures. This conceptual richness—converting a solitary incident into a more expansive investigation of systemic accountability—embodies the hallmark of Corral’s curatorial vision.
The creative team assembled for El Nani underscores this dedication to quality. Alberto Rodríguez, alongside Rafael Cobos, will pen and helm the series, bringing considerable pedigree to the project. The pair are also competing in Series Mania’s main competition this week with “The Anatomy of a Moment,” another Movistar Plus+ project from the Corral era. Their involvement signals that HBO Max is backing established talent capable of delivering the sophisticated, character-driven storytelling that has become synonymous with prestige Spanish television.
A Tried and Tested Partnership Comes Back
The collaboration between Corral and Rodríguez-Cobos is not unprecedented; their earlier work together under Movistar Plus+ created a creative connection grounded in shared creative vision. This sustained partnership benefits for both parties. For HBO Max, it ensures that Corral incorporates proven collaborators into the fold, professionals already aligned with his artistic perspective and able to producing work that meets worldwide expectations. For Corral himself, preserving these connections provides sustained creative energy as he manages his move from platform executive to independent producer.
Sarah Aubrey’s comments at Series Mania highlighted HBO Max’s commitment to supporting creators instead of constraining them. “The answer always is the finest narratives from the finest creative minds,” she stated when asked about the streamer’s commissioning philosophy. This approach appears well-suited for Corral, whose body of work demonstrates an unwavering dedication to identifying and nurturing Spain’s leading creative voices. By offering him a first-refusal agreement with creative autonomy, HBO Max signals its willingness to trust his artistic vision and editorial sensibilities.
Spain’s Broadcasting Renaissance Under Corral’s Leadership
Domingo Corral’s time as head of drama and entertainment at Movistar Plus+ profoundly reshaped Spain’s profile within the worldwide broadcasting arena. Under his direction, the platform evolved from a regional pay-TV service into a creative force capable of competing with Europe’s leading broadcasters. His curatorial vision prioritised artistic ambition over commercial considerations, yielding a slate of productions that received acclaim at the continent’s most esteemed festivals and awards ceremonies. This sustained dedication to excellence over volume established Movistar Plus+ as a choice for demanding viewers and a beacon for top-tier creative talent.
The acclaim afforded to Corral by Spain’s creative institutions underscores the magnitude of his achievements. In May 2025, nearly 150 luminaries from Spain’s film and television industries—including Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, and Alejandro Amenábar—published an public statement expressing their thanks for Corral’s work and airing reservations about Movistar Plus+’s strategic path after his departure. This remarkable display of unity from the nation’s cultural leaders reflected the profound impact Corral had exercised on Spanish television production and its worldwide profile.
| Series Title | Key Achievement |
|---|---|
| “Querer” | Series Mania top prize (2025), directed by Alauda Ruíz de Azúa |
| “Sirāt” | Cannes Jury Prize (2025), two Oscar nominations |
| “Sundays” | San Sebastián top prize (September 2025), from Alauda Ruíz de Azúa |
| “The Anatomy of a Moment” | Series Mania main competition entry (2026), written and directed by Alberto Rodríguez and Rafael Cobos |
| Movistar Plus+ slate | Elevated Spain’s international television profile and established platform as European creative destination |
The range and quality of these successes demonstrate that Corral’s achievements was not a matter of chance or happenstance. His talent for spotting engaging stories and pair them alongside creative visionaries generated a steady flow of award-winning content that resonated both domestically and internationally. This track record affords HBO Max with strong assurance as it begins its working relationship with Corral, suggesting that his forthcoming projects will preserve the creative excellence and cultural importance that characterised his Movistar Plus+ output.
The Future of Director-Led Television
The HBO Max partnership marks a significant turning point for auteur-driven television in the streaming era. By awarding Corral an exclusive first-look agreement for Spanish-language productions, the leading streaming service is actively supporting a creative vision that emphasises artistic integrity and cultural significance over generic programming developed exclusively for algorithmic performance. This shift indicates HBO Max’s renewed commitment to competing beyond on subscriber numbers but on the calibre and standing of its original programming. Corral’s hiring highlights a industry-wide acknowledgement that acclaimed storytelling, notably from international markets, represents a essential competitive strength in an highly competitive streaming landscape.
The inaugural project under this agreement—a programme centred on El Nani, a young petty criminal whose disappearance while in police custody during 1983 came to symbolise Spain’s challenging shift to democratic rule—demonstrates the standard of material Corral is drawn to. Helmed by celebrated film-makers Alberto Rodríguez and Rafael Cobos, the series seeks to blend historical importance with modern-day relevance, examining themes of state accountability and justice that reach far outside Spanish borders. This commitment to substantive narratives indicates that HBO Max aims to leverage Corral’s expertise to develop content with real artistic intent, establishing Spanish television as a cornerstone of its international strategy.
Questions Emerging From the Streaming Market
Despite the confidence surrounding Corral’s appointment, considerable concerns remain regarding the long-term viability of prestige television production within the streaming ecosystem. Whilst HBO Max has shown commitment to quality programming under Sarah Aubrey’s direction, the wider streaming sector remains engaged with profitability challenges and changing audience demands. The financial pressures confronting streaming services sometimes clash with the extended production timelines and significant investment required for genuinely ambitious auteur-driven projects. Whether HBO Max can sustain its investment in culturally significant Spanish-language programming amid broader industry consolidation and economic uncertainty stands as an unresolved matter that will substantially influence the platform’s direction.
Furthermore, Corral’s move from Movistar Plus+—Spain’s dominant pay-television service with deep institutional knowledge and domestic market access—to HBO Max calls into question artistic independence and resource allocation. Whilst Aubrey’s stated commitment to “the best stories from the best creators” indicates a supportive environment, the practical demands of operating across a vast multinational enterprise stand in sharp contrast to managing a domestic service. The degree to which HBO Max will provide Corral the creative latitude and financial flexibility he benefited from at Movistar Plus+ remains to be seen, particularly as streaming services navigate tightening financial constraints and competing strategic priorities throughout various markets and programming categories.
- Will HBO Max sustain investment in prestige Spanish content given financial constraints?
- Can Corral maintain his creative direction within a multinational corporate structure?
- How will this deal shape other European creators’ relationships with streaming platforms?
