Movistar

{{For|the cycling team|Movistar Team (disambiguation){{!}}Movistar Team}} {{distinguish|Mobistar}}

{{Infobox brand

| name = Movistar

| logo = Movistar isotype 2020.svg

| producttype = Telecommunications

| currentowner = Telefónica

| country = Spain

| introduced = {{start date and age|df=yes|1995|07|25}}

| discontinued =

| related = O2
Vivo

| markets = Argentina
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
El Salvador
Mexico
Peru
Spain
Uruguay
Venezuela

| website = {{URL|movistar.com}}

}}

Movistar ({{IPA|es|moβisˈtaɾ}}) is a major telecommunications provider owned by Telefónica, operating in Spain and Hispanic American countries.{{cite web|url=https://www.telefonica.com/en/web/about_telefonica/our_brands/movistar |title=Our Spanish-speaking customers know us as Movistar |publisher=telefonica.com |language=en}} It is the largest provider of landline, broadband, mobile services, and pay television (Movistar Plus+) in Spain.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnmc.es/prensa/datos-estadísticos-telecomunicaciones-y-audiovisual-primer-trimestre-2020-cnmc-20201005 |title=La CNMC publica los datos estadísticos de telecomunicaciones |publisher=cnmc.es |language=es |date=5 October 2020}} Movistar is the second-largest wireless carrier in Mexico, with 25.8 million subscribers as of January 2020.{{cite web |url=https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation/9142-america-movil-contests-63m-mexico-fine.html |title=America Movil contests $63m Mexico fine |date=28 January 2020 |website=Developing Telecoms}}

History

The Movistar brand has been in use in Spain since the launch of GSM services in 1995. The name became effective worldwide on April 5, 2005, after Telefónica purchased the BellSouth mobile operations branch in South America.{{Cite news|date=2004-03-09|title=Telefónica Buys BellSouth Unit|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/09/business/telefonica-buys-bellsouth-unit.html|access-date=2021-09-16|issn=0362-4331}} After the purchase of O₂ in 2005 by Telefónica, the company announced that the «O₂» brand would continue to be used in the United Kingdom and Germany, as a separate branch with its own board and management structure. Since 2011, Telefónica has sponsored a UCI ProTeam squad in cycling under the name of {{UCI team code|GCE|2011}}.{{Cite web|date=2016-09-14|title=Movistar continues as title sponsor of cycling team|url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/movistar_continues_as_title_sponsor_of_cycling_team/|access-date=2021-09-16|website=SportsPro|language=en-GB}}

Countries where Telefónica operates under the Movistar brand

File:Mobile World Centre - 2013 - Barcelona 03.JPG.]]

Argentina (formerly Telefónica Unifón and Movicom BellSouth)
Chile (formerly Telefónica Móvil and BellSouth)
Colombia (formerly Telefónica Telecom, Telecom, BellSouth, Cocelco, CeluMovil)
Ecuador (formerly CelularPower, BellSouth)
El Salvador (formerly Telefónica Móviles or Telefónica MoviStar)
Mexico (formerly Cedetel, Bajacel, Movitel, Norcel, and Pegaso)
Peru (formerly Telefónica Móviles and BellSouth)
Spain (formerly Telefónica MoviStar)
Uruguay (formerly Telefónica Unifón and Movicom BellSouth)
Venezuela (formerly Telcel and Telcel BellSouth)

=Former operations=

Guatemala (acquired by América Móvil, now operating as Claro){{cite web|title=Claro "compró" a Movistar en dos países latinoamericanos|url=https://ohmygeek.net/2019/01/24/claro-movistar-guatemala-el-salvador/|website=Oh My Geek|date=January 24, 2021|language=spanish}}
Costa Rica (acquired by Liberty Latin America, now operating as LIBERTY)
Panama (acquired by Millicom, now operating as Tigo)
Nicaragua (acquired by Millicom, now operating as Tigo)

Countries where Telefónica operates under other brands

Brazil (formerly Telesp and Telefônica, now under the Vivo brand)
Germany (under the O₂ brand)
United Kingdom (under the O₂ brand)

=Former operations=

Czech Republic (under the O₂ brand, acquired by PPF and continues operating the O₂ brand under license agreement with Telefónica)
Ireland (under the O₂ brand, acquired by CK Hutchison Holdings and now operating as Three due to their merger)
Slovakia (under the O₂ brand, acquired by PPF and continues operating the O₂ brand under license agreement with Telefónica)

File:Volvo-Ocean-Race-2005-Vigo (2).jpg yacht Movistar racing in Leg 1 of the 2005 Volvo Ocean Race in Vigo, Spain]]

The 1983 song "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves was used by Telefónica to announce the unification of all its operation brands (Telefónica MoviStar, Bellsouth, Unifon, Telefónica Moviles, Telefónica Movil, and Movicom) in Latin America and Spain under the Movistar brand after the takeover of BellSouth's Latin America division. Movistar has also used the New Radicals' hit "You Get What You Give" and "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors. Currently "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train is in advertising and other versions of the song are also used in audiovisual advertisements.