Streaming platforms have been borrowing storytelling rhythms from traditional television for years. They move with brisk tempo, prize cliffhangers, and shape premieres around scheduled moments, mirroring the ritual of prime-time viewing even as they push audiences to choose how and when to watch. On Friday, October 11, they take another step: Disney+ unveils Return to the Sabines, the first daily Spanish-language production created expressly for a streaming service. The drama stars Andrés Velencoso, Natalia Sánchez, and Celia Freijeiro, with a plot that centers on a complicated love triangle and a web of infidelity. Beginning with its first five episodes on Monday, October 14, Disney+ will release a new episode every day, turning the series into a daily appointment for viewers and inviting fans to follow the story in a steady, predictable rhythm rather than waiting for a weekend binge.
Fiction grounded in romance and betrayal, Return to the Sabines demonstrates how daily releases can change the dynamics of a streaming catalog. Disney+ leans into the daily cadence to keep subscribers engaged between major premieres, while also testing the appeal of a continuous narrative flow. This move fits a broader industry pattern: platforms are embracing serialized storytelling on a daily basis, offering ongoing chapters that build habit, deepen character investment, and extend the life of a title beyond a single premiere.
But platforms are finding that daily soaps can be a real boon as they now need to add more offerings to their catalogs to compete with rivals. Dreams of Freedom is a case in point; it stands as one of the most watched Spanish series on television and often competes with prime-time productions. Antena 3 fiction can be accessed through Atresplayer, the Atresmedia platform, and subscribers with premium access may find episodes available before their public release on certain services, creating an incentive to upgrade while broadening access for devoted viewers.
Jana opens up to Manuel in the later chapters of The Promise and reveals her origins in a moment that underscores how soap narratives intertwine personal revelation with ongoing plots. RTVE
The Promise and Wild Valley
Netflix has also discovered that daily soaps can deliver strong performance, and recently added two La 1 desktop cuts to its catalog alongside TVE’s RTVE Play, including The Promise and the newly released Wild Valley. The approach mirrors a broader strategy: expanding access to beloved public-television titles through streaming platforms to capture both casual viewers and hardcore fans who crave routine, bite-sized storytelling.
In the first case, the stream of new episodes didn’t land perfectly for every viewer, yet Netflix continues to offer the most recent 24 episodes from La 1. These episodes are scheduled for release on weekdays and the public channel also streams new installments on its traditional schedule, with afternoon airings around 5:30 p.m. The show originated in Córdoba at the start of the 20th century and now spans three seasons and more than 430 episodes on La 1, cementing its status as a crown jewel of the public broadcaster’s slate. In fact, it became the most followed program on RTVE Play in 2023.
A scene from Wild Valley RTVE
Something similar is happening with Wild Valley, but it premiered only a few weeks ago and is offered to viewers as the episodes air on La 1, with simultaneous availability. Right now, fans can watch up to 15 episodes in one go. This period drama, set in 1763, drew a sizable audience on Netflix and remains freely accessible on RTVE Play, underscoring how public platforms and global streaming services can cooperate to widen access to historic fiction. It ranks among Netflix’s most-watched titles in Spain, illustrating the audience’s appetite for well-produced period pieces. Will Netflix also embrace its own daily fiction strategy the way Disney+ is leaning into Return to the Sabines, by delivering new episodes on a daily cadence?