View source for Movistar

{{Short description|Telecommunication provider}}
{{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 (brand)|O2]]<br/>[[Vivo (telecommunications company)|Vivo]]
| markets        = Argentina<br/ > Austria <br/ > Chile <br/ >Colombia <br/ >Ecuador <br/ >El Salvador <br/ > Germany <br/ > Luxembourg <br/ > Mexico <br/ >Peru<br/ >Spain <br/ > Switzerland<br > Uruguay <br/ >Venezuela
| website        = {{URL|movistar.com}}
}}
'''Movistar''' ({{IPA|es|moβisˈtaɾ}}) is a major [[telecommunications]] provider owned by [[Telefónica]], operating in Spain and Hispanic American countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telefonica.com/en/web/about_telefonica/our_brands/movistar |title=Our Spanish-speaking customers know us as Movistar |date=26 February 2025 |publisher=telefonica.com |language=en}}</ref> It is the largest provider of [[landline]], [[broadband]], [[Mobile telephony|mobile services]], and pay television ([[Movistar Plus+]]) in Spain.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Movistar is the [[List of mobile network operators of the Americas#Mexico|second-largest wireless carrier in Mexico]], with 25.8 million subscribers as of January 2020.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

== 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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> After the purchase of [[O2 (brand)|O<sub>2</sub>]] in 2005 by Telefónica, the company announced that the «O<sub>2</sub>» 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}}.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Countries where Telefónica operates under the Movistar brand==
[[File:Mobile World Centre - 2013 - Barcelona 03.JPG|thumb|Movistar stand at the [[Mobile World Congress]].]]
* [[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 (company)|Claro]])<ref name="Claro_GUA/SLV">{{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}}</ref>
* [[Costa Rica]] (acquired by [[Liberty Global|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 Brasil|Telefônica]], now under the '''[[Vivo (telecommunications company)|Vivo]]''' brand)
* [[Germany]] (under the '''[[Telefónica Germany|O<sub>2</sub>]]''' brand)
* [[United Kingdom]] (under the '''[[Telefónica Europe|O<sub>2</sub>]]''' brand)

===Former operations===
* [[Czech Republic]] (under the '''[[Telefónica Europe|O<sub>2</sub>]]''' brand, acquired by [[PPF (company)|PPF]] and continues operating the '''[[Telefónica Czech Republic|O<sub>2</sub>]]''' brand under license agreement with [[Telefónica]])
* [[Ireland]] (under the '''[[Telefónica Europe|O<sub>2</sub>]]''' brand, acquired by [[CK Hutchison Holdings]] and now operating as '''[[Three Ireland|Three]]''' due to their merger)
* [[Slovakia]] (under the '''[[Telefónica Europe|O<sub>2</sub>]]''' brand, acquired by [[PPF (company)|PPF]] and continues operating the '''[[Telefónica Slovakia|O<sub>2</sub>]]''' brand under license agreement with [[Telefónica]])

== Advertisements ==
[[File:Volvo-Ocean-Race-2005-Vigo (2).jpg|thumb|150px|[[Volvo Open 70|VO70 Class]] yacht ''Movistar'' racing in Leg 1 of the [[2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race|2005 Volvo Ocean Race]] in [[Vigo]], [[Spain]]]]
The 1983 song "[[Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves 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 (song)|You Get What You Give]]" and "[[Two Princes]]" by [[Spin Doctors]]. Currently "[[Hey, Soul Sister]]" by [[Train (band)|Train]] is in advertising and other versions of the song are also used in audiovisual advertisements.

==See also==
* {{UCI team code|MOV}}
* [[List of mobile network operators]]
* [[List of telecommunications regulatory bodies]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.movistar.com}}
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{{Spanish mobile operators}}
{{Major telecommunications companies}}
{{navboxes
|titlestyle = background:#ccccff
|list=
{{Mexican mobile phone companies}}
{{Argentine mobile network operators}}
{{Chilean mobile network operators}}
{{Colombian mobile network operators}}
{{Ecuadorian mobile phone companies}}
{{Peruvian mobile network operators}}
{{Venezuelan mobile operators}}
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[[Category:Telecommunications companies established in 1995]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in Spain]]
[[Category:Telefónica]]
[[Category:Telecommunications companies of Spain]]
[[Category:Companies based in the Community of Madrid]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of Chile]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of Colombia]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of Ecuador]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of El Salvador]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of Mexico]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of Spain]]
[[Category:Spanish brands]]
[[Category:Tier 1 networks]]