Viaplay Group and Talpa Network enter linear TV partnership in the Netherlands
- Talpa Network’s SBS9 channel to rebrand as Viaplay TV from 5 April
- Channel to show selected content from Viaplay’s premium sports portfolio
- Viaplay TV available through all major Dutch TV distributors
Viaplay Group and Dutch media company Talpa Network have agreed a linear TV partnership in the Netherlands. Starting 5 April, Talpa Network’s widely available SBS9 linear TV channel will be rebranded as Viaplay TV, and will show selected content from the Viaplay streaming service’s portfolio of premium sports. Viaplay TV’s first live broadcast will be the second free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, featuring superstar Dutch driver Max Verstappen. April’s schedule includes live Premier League football, highlights from the Chinese Grand Prix and live PDC Premier League Darts in Rotterdam headlined by three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen.
In addition to selected live sports and reruns from Viaplay, Viaplay TV will feature Dutch and international series and films from Talpa Network’s extensive entertainment offering. The channel is available to audiences across the Netherlands through all major TV distributors.
Viaplay Group and Talpa Network will share the revenues from the partnership.
Viaplay is the Dutch home of hugely popular sports such as Formula 1, Premier League football and PDC darts, alongside Bundesliga, EFL Championship and Carabao Cup football, Hoofdklasse field hockey, Enfusion kickboxing and more. Viaplay also regularly premieres exclusive sports documentaries such as the upcoming three-part series ‘Max Verstappen – Off the Beaten Track’.
All Viaplay sports content shown on Viaplay TV will remain available in full on Viaplay.
Peter Nørrelund, Viaplay Group EVP and Chief Sports & Business Development Officer: “Talpa Network is a well-established Dutch player with outstanding reach. This partnership will showcase Viaplay’s premium sports portfolio, which is the most attractive and relevant anywhere in the Netherlands, to a broad audience and open up new revenue opportunities. With the new Formula 1 season running at full speed, and a great year of sport ahead, the timing couldn’t be better for Dutch fans.”
Joost Brakel, CEO, Talpa Network: “We are fully committed to our open media strategy and this means that we constantly look in the market for opportunities to collaborate with attractive partners. The partnership with Viaplay Group is illustrative of this, just as we have previously entered into successful alliances with RetailMedia.One and BBC First. We are pleased to be able to offer these immensely popular sports to our viewers.”
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Viaplay Group AB (publ) is the Nordic region’s leading entertainment provider. Our Viaplay streaming service is available in every Nordic country, as well as in the Netherlands and Poland, and our Viaplay Select branded content concept has been added to partner platforms around the world. We also operate TV channels across most of our markets, as well as radio stations in Norway and Sweden. Our talented people come to work every day with a shared passion and clear mission to entertain millions of people with our unique offering of locally relevant storytelling, which spans premium live sports, films, series and music. Our purpose is to grow our business profitably and responsibly, and deliver sustainable value for all our stakeholders. Viaplay Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘VPLAY B’).
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