Why did content chief Domingo Corral depart from Movistar Plus+? Details explored as Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz show support

Under new president Marc Murtra and CEO Daniel Domenjó, the board of directors of Telefónica suddenly dismissed Domingo Corral, director of fiction and entertainment at Movistar Plus+, at the end of April 2025 in a dramatic management shake-up.

After Corral's statement that his duties would be split between Hugo Tomás and Jorge Pezzi, more than 140 Spanish film and television stars—including Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem—came together to support him. They praised Corral's decade of encouraging creative ambition and collaboration in unique material.

Domingo Corral departs from Movistar Plus

Domingo Corral joined Movistar Plus+ in 2014 to guide the platform's shift into original fiction and supervised distinguished programs such as Apagón, Hierro, Rapa, Antidisturbios, and La Mesías. When his responsibilities were broadened to include entertainment and non-fiction, he became the content director overseeing all of Movistar Plus+'s programming in April 2023.

Ranging from the historical play La peste to contemporary blockbusters like Querer, Los años nuevos, and Celeste, his leadership of the platform produced highly praised and successful works. During Corral's time, which coincided with Telefónica's bold investment in local originals, Movistar Plus+ was touted as the national leader in high-end Spanish series.

The board of directors of Telefínica decided to fire Corral on April 30, 2025, part of a larger shakeup starting earlier in the year with Marc Murtra taking president from José María Álvarez Pallete. In the reorganization, Javier de Paz took over as president of Telefínica Audiovisual Digital from Sergio Oslé; Cristina Burzako resigned as CEO of Movistar Plus+ to be followed by Daniel Domenjó.

Corral's dual leadership was subsequently divided: Hugo Tomás, an executive producer at ITV Studios Iberia, took over entertainment and non-fiction; Jorge Pezzi, previously CEO of Boomerang TV, was in charge of fiction.

Global streamers are expanding in Spain, hence significantly threatening Movistar Plus+'s market share. Infobae reports that because the platform's subscriber base has stopped growing, Telefónica has decided to shift its content strategy away from riskier auteur-driven initiatives and toward established formats and audience data. The change in leadership might imply a shift toward more franchise-friendly and scalable content, expected to generate steadier profits.

Divya Burman is a journalist at Primetimer 

She has completed her graduation in English Literature, which fuelled her interest in writing. A curious learner, Divya isn't scared to move out of her comfort zone and reviews her work from a critical point of view.

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