Viaplay secures exclusive KSW rights in 10 countries

• Viaplay to show every KSW event live in Poland and the Nordic and Baltic countries from December 2021, with the Netherlands to follow
• KSW to increase number of events to 12 per year from 2022
• Viaplay and KSW to establish pathways for MMA talents representing Viaplay’s markets to participate in KSW events

Viaplay has agreed a long-term partnership with KSW, Europe’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation, to become the exclusive streaming home in 10 countries of KSW’s live events from December 2021. Based in Poland, KSW enjoys a passionate following, and from 2022 the organisation will stage 12 events each year featuring top Polish and international MMA competitors.

Viaplay’s first KSW event will be KSW 65 on 18 December, when Poland’s Mamed Khalidov (35-7-2) defends his middleweight belt against Croatia’s Roberto ‘Robocop’ Soldić (19-3-0), one of Europe’s hottest MMA prospects. On the same night, Daniel Torres (12-4-0) and Salahdine Parnasse (15-1-1) will contest the KSW featherweight championship, with additional bouts to be confirmed shortly.

Viaplay and KSW will also work together to establish pathways for talents representing Viaplay’s markets to participate in KSW events.

All KSW events will be available in Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands at no extra cost as part of a regular Viaplay subscription in which sport is included. In Poland, Viaplay’s KSW coverage will include premium studio programming and Polish-language commentary.

Peter Nørrelund, NENT Group Chief Sports Officer: “KSW attracts fervent fans, especially in Poland, and is now established as Europe’s premier MMA promotion. Viaplay’s partnership is ideally timed, with the number of KSW events set to increase to 12 next year. We’re also looking forward to helping new MMA talents realise their dream of competing in front of an international audience.”

Maciej Kawulski, KSW co-owner: “We are very excited to work with Viaplay starting with KSW 65 on 18 December. The Viaplay streaming platform is incredible value for sports fans and will make KSW accessible to more eyes in Poland and around Europe. I am sure all KSW fans will have a heightened viewing experience and will benefit from this partnership.”

Martin Lewandowski, KSW co-owner: “Next year will see an increase in our events, our roster of athletes and the number of European territories in which KSW will be readily available. Working with Viaplay provides us with new opportunities and will only have a positive impact on KSW going forward. This is a big moment in the history of our federation, and it highlights our dedication to continued growth. I am excited to begin this partnership and look forward to welcoming KSW fans, new and old, to Viaplay starting with KSW 65 on 18 December.”

In addition to KSW, Viaplay’s sports rights in Poland include Bundesliga, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League football, NHL ice hockey and PDC darts, with Premier League and IndyCar to come from 2022 and Formula One from 2023. Viaplay will also be the exclusive Polish home of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

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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 and Poland. Viaplay will launch in the US in 2021 and the Netherlands and 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’).

About KSW:
Launched in 2004, by co-owners Maciej Kawulski & Martin Lewandowski, KSW has grown to become Europe’s premier MMA organisation. KSW has hosted large-scale events in Poland, the UK, Ireland, Croatia, and holds the record for largest modern day MMA event, & the biggest ever in Europe, with 57,776 in attendance at KSW 39.

Known around the world for its unique blend of sport and spectacle, KSW receives media coverage from some of the largest outlets across the globe and has been nominated for ‘MMA Promotion of the Year’ in the World MMA Awards on several occasions. 2018 saw KSW beat the Polish Football Association to win ‘Sports Organisation of the Year’ in the national sports awards in Poland.

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