Netflix’s Diego Ábalos used his appearance on Malaga Talent on Tuesday to not only explain how the streamer sources, develops and finances projects in Spain, but also to send a broader message to local businesses. In other words, Netflix wants to be seen as accessible, flexible, and closely connected to the creative communities it wants to collaborate with.
In a conversation with Silvia Iturbe, executive of the Mafis Málaga Festival Industry Zone, in a packed room at the UNIA Puerto venue, Ábalos, Netflix’s vice president of content for Spain, Portugal and Turkey, provided a public snapshot of the company’s consignment logic in Spain, including multiple entry points for projects, diverse deal structures, and a strategy driven by audience connections rather than algorithms.
However, it was Avalos’ way of handling the room that gave the session an edge. Relaxed and articulate, he moved easily between broad strategy and the practical mechanics of development. For a room full of up-and-coming creators who are likely to see streamers as distant gatekeepers, the presentation suggested something more open, more personal, and more connected to the everyday realities of Spain’s production sector.
“There’s no moment that speaks to us,” Avalos said, stressing that projects can arrive at Netflix in a variety of ways, including bibles, script packages, rights-based pitches, or more advanced productions that already have broadcaster support or public funding.
He cited the TV3 series Genesis as an example of a title Netflix entered after regional financing had already been completed, with the series rolling out to Spain, Latin America, the US, Canada and most of the EU. In contrast, “The Asunta Case” is described as a project born out of Netflix’s previous relationship with Madrid-based Bambu Producciones, which evolved from an initial idea to a bible, a pilot, and eventually a green light.
This contrast emphasizes one of Ávalos’ key points. This means that Netflix doesn’t operate on a single development template. Some projects arrive highly packaged. Some start with an idea, a rights hook, or an early creative conversation. He says the priority is less about format and more about whether the material clearly communicates the story, creative vision and audience potential.
The session also revealed the size of Netflix’s Spanish pipeline. Avalos added that the company receives between 1,500 and 2,500 projects a year and reads them all, with the team aiming to respond to all submissions. He also emphasized the breadth of Netflix’s production relationships, noting that the company has worked with more than 60 Spanish production companies over the past seven years.
He suggested that Netflix does not operate through a narrow circle of repeat suppliers or a single engagement model. The company works directly with producers, writers, and directors and helps connect emerging creators with more established production partners, as needed, if a project requires a stronger industrial package.
Mr. Abalos also praised the strength of Spain’s production sector, telling the young audience that the future of the industry depends on them and treating the session as a genuine exchange rather than a formal presentation of companies. His close ties to the room reinforced the image of Netflix executives as closely involved in local business and wary of the ambitions of emerging talent.
He was also adamant about the idea that Netflix is algorithmically outsourcing, explaining that the data is a compass, not a blueprint. This feature is at the heart of Netflix’s local pitch. Avalos cited a wide range of local comedies, thrillers, character-driven dramas and action titles as categories that have worked particularly well for the Spanish company, but acknowledged that groundbreaking exceptions like “Nowhere” and “The Platform” show the limits of rigid rule-making.
One of the most notable clarifications from the session concerned ownership. Of the more than 1,000 Spanish titles Netflix has launched over the past seven years, Avalos said the company owns less than 25% of the IP, with the majority structured as acquisitions or other partner-led models, with rights remaining with producers, creators and writers.
This point was reflected in the broader debate about Netflix’s role. Avalos said streamers are not meant to replace the independent sector, but to support it. He said Netflix executives do not receive producer credits because the creative and industrial heavy lifting belongs to third-party producers, writers and directors.
Meanwhile, festivals remain an important part of that system, both as a launching pad for titles and as a space where executives can recognize new voices, fresh formats, and shifts in creative energy. Avalos also pointed out that even though distribution of short films is not central to Netflix’s local strategy, short films are still a useful talent discovery tool. Ábalos insisted that he wanted Malaga Talent viewers to see Netflix not just as a buyer or commissioner, but as a partner who listens to Spain’s wider creative landscape.
