Viaplay increases ambition for UK streaming offering by adding live sports
- Viaplay secures long-term exclusive UK rights to IIHF ice hockey and more
- Viaplay to develop a broad offering in the UK over time that combines live sports with premium original Nordic content and more
- Viaplay to show sports in 11 European markets
Viaplay will include live sports in its UK content line-up, starting from its launch in the country in the second half of 2022, and will increase its ambition for the UK market. The company will initially focus on sports with an established Nordic connection and has secured long-term exclusive UK rights to IIHF ice hockey, ISU skating, handball and more. Viaplay intends to develop a broad offering in the UK over time that combines live sports with premium original Nordic content and more. The addition takes Viaplay’s European sports footprint to 11 markets.
Sports available on Viaplay in the UK will include:
- IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship: 2024 to 2028
- Champions Hockey League: 2023/2024 to 2027/2028
- ISU figure skating and speed skating: 2023 to 2028 (ISU World Figure Skating Championships from 2024)
- EHF European Handball Championship, EHF Champions League and EHF European League (men and women): 2022 to 2030
- CEV EuroVolley, CEV Champions League, CEV EuroBeachVolley and additional CEV volleyball competitions: 2022 to 2026
- World Athletics Continental Tour Gold: 2023 to 2029
- World Athletics Indoor Tour: 2023
- FIS snowboard and freestyle: 2022-2026 (non-exclusive).
Anders Jensen, NENT Group President and CEO: “We have high ambitions for Viaplay in every country where we have a broad offering. The UK, with this expanded scope, is no exception. Adding sports alongside our premium Nordic content will be a unique proposition for viewers, and our line-up will continue to grow and evolve. This will increase Viaplay’s appeal even further and help us rapidly establish a position in one of the world’s most competitive and exciting streaming markets. Our increased ambition for the UK is of course positive for our outlook but we are not changing our guidance at this time, and we remain fully funded for Viaplay’s expansion to at least 16 markets by the end of 2023.”
Peter Nørrelund, NENT Group Chief Sports Officer: “These long-term rights show Viaplay’s commitment to streaming sports in the UK. Each has a dedicated audience and will give us a foundation to expand further over time. In our current European markets, live sports are our home turf and we look forward to bringing our expert coverage to fans in the UK.”
This year, Viaplay will stream live sports across the Nordic and Baltic regions, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK.
Further details of Viaplay’s UK content offering, pricing and launch date will be communicated in due course. The launch will take the service’s footprint to 12 countries, with at least 16 countries planned by the end of 2023. Viaplay aims to have approximately 12 million subscribers by the end of 2025.
****
NOTES TO EDITORS
Nordic Entertainment Group AB (publ) (NENT Group)’s Viaplay streaming service is available in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the US and the Netherlands. Viaplay will launch in the UK in 2022, followed by Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland by the end of 2023. We operate streaming services, TV channels, radio stations and production companies, and our purpose is to tell stories, touch lives and expand worlds. Headquartered in Stockholm with a global perspective, NENT Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘NENT B’).
Contact us:
press@nentgroup.com (or Nicholas Smith, Senior Communications Manager: +46 73 699 1700)
investors@nentgroup.com (or Matthew Hooper, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer: +44 7768 440 414)
Download high-resolution photos: Flickr
Follow us:
nentgroup.com / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram
Data protection:
To read more about NENT Group and data protection, click here
