Curating the middlebrow: Filmin’s strategies for distinction in the Spanish SVoD market

Abstract

This article situates the Spanish SVoD service Filmin within the global and national contemporary streaming panorama. It critically analyses Filmin’s four main self-proclaimed strategies for standing out in the highly competitive Spanish SVoD market – a curated catalogue, the platform’s European identity, engagement with classical films and collaborations with film festivals. The success of these strategies is evident in Filmin’s substantial profit of 1.5 million euros in 2020. This article focuses on an in-depth examination of these programming strategies, key collaborations and insights from an interview with Filmin’s co-founder and current CEO, Juan Carlos Tous, to explore how this SVoD service has successfully developed a middlebrow curatorial strategy, reaching a unique position in the Spanish market and distinguishing it from the rest of its competitors.