How Prime Video Went From Loss Leader to Key Subscription Driver in Spain: A Conversation with Executives Ricardo Carbonero and Maria José Rodríguez (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Jamie Lang During a star-studded Prime Video Presents event held in Madrid on Tuesday, the Amazon-owned streaming platform made waves when it announced that it would be releasing two of its upcoming original features in cinemas in the coming months, with plans to do more theatrical distribution in the near future.

Following the event, Director of Prime Video in Spain and Portugal, Ricardo Carbonero, and Amazon Studios’ Head of Spanish Originals, Maria José Rodríguez, met with Variety to discuss the company’s adaptable philosophy regarding film and series distribution, evolving Prime Video from a loss leader to a subscription driver and what trends are currently striking a chord with Spanish audiences.

Below is our conversation with the two executives, edited for length and clarity. There is a lot of pessimism right now regarding the state of theatrical distribution, yet you’re making a move into this area with two of your upcoming original films, “Hildegart” and “Sigue mi voz.” Can you talk a bit about how you see the theatrical landscape and what made a release in cinemas the right decision for these films? Rodriguez: I believe we’re in a very interesting time for the world of theatrical distribution.

The good thing is that we’re at a moment when there are a lot of possibilities that didn’t exist before. As we’ve always said, original production at Prime Video is born from an open mind and a mentality that we want to do what is best for each film and for the talent involved.