Viaplay Group and CANAL+ Polska agree major Polish distribution partnership
- Viaplay Group to sublicense two top Premier League matches per round to CANAL+ Polska for the next three seasons
- Distribution partnership to make Viaplay available to CANAL+ Polska’s premium DTH subscribers
Viaplay Group and the leading Polish pay-TV operator CANAL+ Polska have agreed a direct-to-home (DTH) distribution partnership in Poland that will make the Viaplay streaming service available to CANAL+ Polska’s premium DTH subscribers across the country. Viaplay Group will also sublicense selected Premier League matches to CANAL+ Polska for the next three seasons. The matches will be available on CANAL+ Polska’s channels from the beginning of August, when the Premier League season kicks off.
Direct subscribers to CANAL+ Polska’s premium DTH package will be able to access Viaplay’s unique combination of live sports, Viaplay Originals, Hollywood films and series, and kids content. Access to the Viaplay offer will be rolled out on a gradual basis starting this autumn; further details will be available in the coming weeks.
Starting from August, two top live Premier League matches per round will be available on CANAL+ channels for the next three seasons. All matches from the Premier League season, which spans 38 rounds comprising 10 matches in total, will be streamed live on Viaplay. In turn, CANAL+ Polska will sublicense up to two live matches per round from the popular Polish speedway league eWinner I Liga Żużlowa to Viaplay Group in Poland. The sublicensed speedway matches will also remain available on CANAL+ channels and services.
Kim Poder, Viaplay Group Chief Commercial Officer: “Poland is a key market for Viaplay, and we want as many viewers as possible to try our unique service for themselves. This long-term agreement with one of Poland’s largest pay-TV operators will expand our addressable market significantly over the years to come, and is therefore an important step towards realising our high ambitions. It also brings our Premier League coverage to an even larger audience, while showcasing the quality of our sports broadcasts to fans in every part of Poland.”
Edyta Sadowska, CANAL+ Polska CEO and General Director: “With the start of the upcoming season, two top matches of each round of the Premier League will continue to be able to be followed on CANAL+ channels, which is undoubtedly excellent news for CANAL+ customers. Thanks to the establishment of cooperation with Viaplay, we will also be able to offer our customers access to further unique content from many different categories. Furthermore, establishing cooperation with another such large partner is a confirmation of our ambitions and commitment to building the most complete and competitive offer of movies, series and sports on the Polish market.”
Alongside CANAL+ Polska, Viaplay Group has long-term distribution partnerships in Poland with UPC, Vectra and Play. Viaplay is also available to Polish viewers through direct subscriptions.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Viaplay Group AB (publ) is the international streaming challenger. Our Viaplay streaming service is available in every Nordic and Baltic country, Poland, the US and the Netherlands, and we are expanding rapidly by launching in the UK in 2022, followed by Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland in 2023. Viaplay will have a market presence in at least 21 countries by the end of 2023, including at least five partner markets for the Viaplay Select branded content concept. Every day, millions of customers enjoy our unique entertainment offering, including acclaimed Viaplay Originals and an unrivalled line-up of premium live sports. From streaming to TV channels, radio stations and production companies, our purpose is to tell stories, touch lives and expand worlds. Viaplay Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘VPLAY B’).
About CANAL+ Polska:
CANAL+ Polska is a leading producer of premium and thematic channels, offering a unique combination of premium content, modern technology and broad distribution. With approximately 2.7 million clients as at 31 December 2020, it is the second largest distributor of pay-TV packages in Poland with a traditional Polish pay-TV market share of 20.4%.
CANAL+ Polska operates a satellite platform offering clients packages that include both proprietary television channels and third-party channels covering all segments of the pay-TV market, with a focus on the premium segment.
With its twelve premium CANAL+ channels and carefully selected third-party premium channels, CANAL+ Polska believes it offers clients the best programming experience in the Polish pay-TV market, in terms of variety, number of premieres, exclusivity, and quality of sound and picture.
In May 2020, CANAL+ Polska launched CANAL+ online, an innovative service designed to meet growing demand for non-linear programming. The service offers access to linear channels and on-demand programming such as films, TV series, sports events, lifestyle and programming content for children.
CANAL+ Polska is also involved in film distribution to cinemas through Kino Świat. With a cinema distribution market share of 26.4%, Kino Świat is the leading film distribution company in Poland.
Contact us:
press@viaplaygroup.com (or Nicholas Smith, Senior Communications Manager: +46 73 699 1700)
investors@viaplaygroup.com (or Matthew Hooper, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer: +44 7768 440 414)
For CANAL+ Polska:
Piotr.kaniowski@canalplus.pl (Spokesperson: +48 737 897 785)
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