Secuoya hires José María Caro

Spanish TV production is a scale game now — not just a creative one. Studios need people who understand how streamers buy, package, and greenlight shows across borders. That is why Secuoya Studios hiring José María Caro matters. On May 12, the Madrid-based group named the former HBO Max Spain executive its new chief content officer, just a day after news broke that he was leaving Warner Bros. Discovery. ### Who is José María Caro? Caro is one of those executives who has sat on the buyer side of the table at exactly the moment Spanish-language streaming got more competitive. Before Warner Bros. Discovery, he led Spanish originals at Amazon Studios. Then WBD brought him in and, in January 2025, expanded his remit to oversee scripted local originals for Max in Spain. That meant development and production responsibility for the platform’s scripted slate in the country. (deadline.com) ### What job is he taking? At Secuoya Studios, Caro becomes chief content officer. That puts him in charge of the studio’s global content strategy and creative development push — basically, the part of the business that decides what kinds of series and films get built, with whom, and for which buyers. Secuoya framed the hire as a way to strengthen its international content strategy, not just its domestic Spanish pipeline. (screenglobalproduction.com) ### Why would Secuoya want him? Because independent studios increasingly need executives who know how streamers think from the inside. Caro has worked where projects get filtered — first at Amazon, then at Max. That gives Secuoya someone who understands not just taste, but commissioning logic: what gets approved, how local-language shows travel, and how to shape projects for global platforms. In plain English, he knows how to turn a creative pitch into something buyers might actually order. (panoramaaudiovisual.com) ### Why is Secuoya in hiring mode now? Secuoya has been trying to look less like a local producer and more like an international studio network. Over the past year it has pushed projects with global ambitions and signed development and production partnerships beyond Spain. Trade coverage around the company has highlighted that expansion strategy repeatedly, including first-look style deals and internationally oriented scripted development. Caro fits that exact plan. (screenglobalproduction.com) ### Why leave HBO Max for this? The simple answer is leverage. At a streamer, even a senior local executive works inside a commissioning system that can tighten fast when corporate priorities change. At an independent studio, the mandate is broader — build projects, attach talent, sell to multiple outlets, and shape the slate earlier. For someone with Caro’s background, that can be a bigger creative and commercial platform, especially in Europe where producers are trying to serve both domestic broadcasters and global streamers. (tva.onscreenasia.com) This last point is an inference from the role change and the broader market setup. ### Is this just one hire? Not really — it reads like another sign of how fluid European content leadership has become. Caro himself had been promoted at Max after Alberto Carullo exited that side of the business. Now Caro has moved again, this time into production. The line between platform executive and studio executive keeps getting thinner, because the same people who know how to commission shows also know how to package and sell them. (deadline.com) ### What does this change for viewers? Nothing overnight. But it could change what gets made next. A chief content officer can influence which stories get developed, which creators get backed, and how aggressively a studio aims beyond its home market. If Secuoya wants more Spanish-language projects that travel internationally, hiring someone with Caro’s background is a pretty direct way to do it. (senalnews.com) ### Bottom line? This is a talent move, but also a strategy move. Secuoya did not just hire a creative executive — it hired someone trained inside two global streaming systems. In the current TV market, that is the asset. (deadline.com) (panoramaaudiovisual.com)