Netflix arrived in Spain in 2015. Before, to watch series and movies you had what they “threw” on television networks, renting DVDs and Blu-Rays or going to P2P networks. Well, some got ahead of video on demand by launching Filmin in 2007 and Yomvi at the end of 2011. But since 2015, a good handful have arrived in Spain of services and platforms of video on demand: Netflix, HBO, Prime Video, Movistar +, Disney + … Some fell along the way, like Sky Spain. And others have been arriving with more or less success, but there they are: StarzPlay, FlixOlé, Planet Horror, DAZN, Acorn TV … The list is endless. And there are paid and free. Come on, you have free alternatives to Netflix at your fingertips to watch free movies and series on your television or on your mobile devices whenever and however you want .
There has never been such a offer of services that offer audiovisual content. To the point that it is easy to end up saturated with so much offer. Both in the aforementioned paid offer and in the free proposals that are emerging as an alternative. And it is that the strategy of offering paid content in such a saturated market ends up not being a good business. The alternative is to offer the same content but in exchange for advertising . A model on the way between classic television but without depending on linear broadcasting. Consume content whenever you want but with the occasional ad.
Netflix, HBO and company are known as OTT (over-the-top) services, that is, transmitting audiovisual content over the internet. But we also know them as VOD (video on demand, video on demand). Hence, the proposals that are emerging lately are called AVOD (advertising video on demand, video on demand with advertising). But best of all, there are ad-free and free VOD services. A whole medley of platforms with free movies and series. These are some of them that you can enjoy if you live in Spain .
From DTT to internet
Let's start with the most obvious proposals, the most television free alternatives to Netflix. TV channels lose ground to online competition. More and more people instead of tuning in to a channel , open or paid, decide to watch series or movies online on paid or free platforms. It is not surprising that proprietary platforms have emerged integrated into smartphones, tablets, smart televisions, etc.
In Spain, these are the main free channel platforms:
RTVE Play offers exclusive content, more and more, and from La 1, La 2, 24 Horas, Teledeporte and Clan
Mitele is the Mediaset platform. It has paid content ( Mitele Plus ) but also free, both exclusive and broadcast on their respective channels
ATRESplayer of Atresmedia . It also combines paid content ( ATRESplayer Premium ) and free, exclusive and its linear channels
The regional channels have also launched their respective platforms. The most complete in terms of free movies and series are TV3 A La Carta in Catalonia and EiTB in the Basque Country.
Pluto TV
Owned by ViacomCBS, Pluto TV is arguably the most popular free video on demand platform. A free alternative to Netflix to watch movies, series, cartoons and TV shows.
Available on the Web and in the form of an application for different platforms for TV, smartphones and tablets, it offers its content in two ways: on thematic linear channels and on demand, whenever and in the order you want.
They may not offer their own series and films or content that has just been released in theaters, but their catalog is impressive. Come on, if you don't mind missing the latest Netflix or Disney + premiere but want to have fun with movies and series, you're going to get fed up.
Rakuten TV
Before the arrival of Pluto TV, the Japanese Rakuten TV had already taken its first steps. After several strategy changes, you can now access the Rakuten catalog in a number of ways. There is paid content, free content and it even integrates platforms like StarzPlay like a Russian doll.
The free content, series, movies, documentaries and cartoons, can be consumed whenever and however you want. On demand. And it has applications for most platforms and devices . It also has a selection of more than 90 linear channels in the style of Pluto TV with content for all tastes. A free alternative to Netflix that combines linear and on-demand content .
Its catalog may not be up to the level of Pluto TV, but it is not bad at all by weight, or rather, in quantity and variety . He combines his own titles, basically documentaries, with relatively recent films. Come on, it saves you from more than one boring afternoon without scratching your pocket .
Rlaxx TV
From Germany, this summer Rlaxx TV landed in Spain , another free content platform with series and movies. Combine the linear free channels with the on-demand catalog.
At its premiere, it offered 27 channels, which will expand over time , as Pluto TV does. A way to stay alert by adding and removing content with a more visible strategy than payment platforms such as Netflix that do not warn when content is going to disappear.
In exchange for advertising, you will have access to series, movies and other content for all tastes: sports, free time, nature, children's content, music, series and crime movies … And it already has an application for smart TVs and other platforms.
Plex TV
Plex is an application that allows you to create your own home catalog of series, movies and music that you can then play on your devices and on your television. An alternative to Netflix for free with your own content. But it also offers its own catalog of free movies and series for you to watch around the world, they say. Free and legal.
The cover letter of Plex TV is good. More than 130 streaming channels and more than 20,000 movies and series on demand from Warner Bros, LionsGate and MGM, among other greats. To access this content you must register for free and install the official application on the device where you want to play the content.
The main drawback of Plex TV is that, unlike the previous recommendations, almost all of its content is in English. If you are looking for content dubbed or in Spanish, you are going to have it complicated. That does not detract from its extensive catalog. Simply that it is based on content in English and / or subtitles .
